Entering 2025 Training Camp, Raiders.com is previewing every position group and evaluating the players who will make up the 53-man roster. Let's take a look at the trenches.

New players

The Raiders started the free agency period investing in the trenches by signing veteran Alex Cappa.

Cappa brings reliability to the Raiders offensive line, having only missed one game over the last five seasons. He comes to the Raiders with an established relationship with General Manager John Spytek, who was in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scouting department when the guard was drafted in 2018. The Bucs went on to win a Super Bowl two seasons later.

"I have a lot of respect for him and how he operates," Cappa said of Spytek. "He wants to bring in people that do things the right way. Him and Coach Carroll, we all want to do things the right way and so that's what I'm about too and so I think it's been a good fit."

The team continued adding to the offensive line in the draft, selecting both Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers in the third round. Grant was a standout at William & Mary, where he was named a two-time First-Team FCS All-American and earned a 91.2 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus his senior season. Rogers was a two-time honorable mention All-Big 12 selection at Texas Tech and played both guard and tackle spots in college.

"I think this rookie class all around, they come in with a sense of maturity," veteran Kolton Miller said. "They're listening, they're looking ways to improve every day. Charles and Caleb, they're great examples. They're taking a step each day, and you can see the focus and the work after practice. They're doing it the right way."

Along with the two draft picks, Parker Clements and Jarrod Hufford were acquired as rookie UDFAs. The Silver and Black also signed a lineman from across the globe, Laki Tasi. The 6-foot-6 Goodna, Australia, native comes through the NFL International Pathway Program, having played rugby his whole life.

"My favorite guy out there to watch is Laki Tasi," Pete Carroll said. "He knows nothing about football when he walked in the door and he's made tremendous progress, and he's enormous. He's the biggest guy you ever saw. I think he weighed in at weigh-ins the other day at 369. He's learning and we got to keep an eye on him. It's an exciting process. I don't know how long it's going to take, but he's starting from ground zero, and he's made a lot of progress so far."

Returning players

The offensive line is returning six players who started at least four games in 2024.

The blind side continues to be anchored by Kolton Miller, the longest tenured Raider on the team. Despite coming into last season having undergone shoulder surgery, he started all 17 games.

"I've been here for a long time, man. This is what I do, and looking to just improve each day," Miller said. "And the direction the organization is going with Pete, he's preaching competition. We've got to make everyone better, including the young guys. ... I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing and lead the guys. And that's how I'm rolling."

The Silver and Black drafted two offensive linemen in 2024 who emerged into full-time starters. Jackson Powers-Johnson initially lined up at left guard before moving over to center to fill in for an injured Andre James. While at Oregon, Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Award, given annual to the best center in college football, so the transition was seamless for the rookie. He only allowed one sack in the games he started as a center.

"You can translate a lot of things from guard to center," Powers-Johnson said. "It's been great and I think the coaches have been doing a great job of putting people in uncomfortable situations and situations they haven't been in before. And I think the experience of me playing multiple positions has helped me with that here at OTAs."

DJ Glaze, drafted in the third round after Powers-Johnson, filled in for relief of Thayer Munford Jr. in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Glaze held down the starting right tackle job for the rest of the season, and has remained in the spot throughout OTAs and minicamp.

"When I came in I just tried to strive to get a little bit better every day," Glaze said last month. "Come with that mindset that it's a job at the end of the day. Last year it was mine to gain, this year now it's mine to keep. Just keeping that steady mentality, just realizing everyday is different. It might not look the same every day, but as long as I go out there and do what I have to do and improve on one small thing each day, we'll see improvement in my whole game."

Guards Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith are competing with additions Cappa and Rogers. Parham has started 48 games at both guard spots and center since being drafted in 2022. Meredith became a starter in Week 7 last season amid O-line injuries.

Center Will Putnam and tackles Dalton Wagner and Gottlieb Ayedze spent portions of last season on the Raiders practice squad and will look to take the next step up in their careers.