Raiders.com is rolling out its annual position breakdown series, previewing every position group in the lead up to training camp. Next, a look at the big men up front.

What's new

The Las Vegas Raiders swung for the fences in free agency, landing three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.

The former Ravens' 2022 first-round pick provides a desirable blend of speed, strength and durability. He's only missed two games in his NFL career to date.

"At the end of the day it's my job to get everyone to be on the same page," Linderbaum said in OTAs, "to play at a standard that we set and that we want to play at. And us collectively as a unit, we decide how we want to play."

Spencer Burford is another notable free agent signing, who played in 56 games (38 starts) during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Silver and Black invested a Day 2 draft pick in Trey Zuhn III, a versatile lineman. While now labeled as a guard on the roster, he played both tackle positions and even center throughout five seasons at Texas A&M. Named First-Team All-SEC in 2025, his 96.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was the highest of any offensive lineman in this draft class.

"He's a versatile guy, works hard, takes notes," Kolton Miller said of his initial observations of Zuhn. "He's getting the most out of these days, which is all you can ask as a rookie. The whole process, when you get drafted, you're coming to the party late, you're not as caught up as the rest of the guys. So, to see the focus from him, along with the rest of the rookies, has been great."

The other rookies on the offensive line consist of UDFA signings Kamar Missouri from UTSA, Justin Pickett from Duke, Isaiah Jatta from BYU and Niklas Henning, a Milton, Ontario, native who was also the No. 2 overall pick in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft.

Who's returning

Due to injuries and scheme changes, the Raiders shuffled through multiple starting offensive line rotations last season.

Kolton Miller, the team's starting left tackle since being drafted in 2018, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. On the opposite side of the line, DJ Glaze started all 17 games without missing a snap in 2026.

The interior line was in constant flux. Jackson Powers-Johnson suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 10. Jordan Meredith switched between center and the two guard spots before also being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury in Week 17.

The mounting injury setbacks allowed for 2025 third-round picks Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant to get playing time down the stretch. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Rogers' 7.7 quarterback pressure percentage allowed was the second-lowest of any offensive lineman on the Raiders.

"He's a guy that keeps working, keeps improving," offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said of Rogers. "All those guys in that position, it's a really enjoyable room to be around, because every day they're helping each other, and they really push each other."

Will Putnam and Atonio Mafi also received reps on offense to go along with their special teams duties, getting two starts at center and left guard, respectively.

Tackle Dalton Wagner, a 2023 UDFA signing from Arkansas, appeared in his first NFL game in the Raiders' Week 18 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Keep an eye out for...

If there's anything to be learned from the Raiders' 2025 season, it's that depth on the offensive line isn't optional.

Signing Linderbaum should help end the revolving door at the center position, and there's a plethora of capable interior linemen who can compete for starting jobs next to him.

Miller back at full strength should pay dividends for a line that struggled without him. Plus the Silver and Black have three players who could compete for the right tackle position between Glaze, Grant and Zuhn.

"They've been training really hard," offensive line coach Rick Dennison said. "It might be monotonous to do the same drills, the same combinations, but we've got to be sync. The five guys up front, it's really important for everybody to see the same thing. ... They've been grinding away, they've been doing it. They've been working hard. It's a steady climb up and it's just going to take a lot of hard work and they're not afraid of that."