The Las Vegas Raiders are marching into the 2026 season enveloped in a storm of anticipation and high-stakes media coverage. While national sports outlets endlessly debate the highly publicized arrival of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza or analyze the terrifying edge-rushing presence of Maxx Crosby, a much quieter—yet infinitely more vicious—war is being waged behind closed doors. In the grueling heat of offseason training, away from the flashing cameras, five completely unexpected players are orchestrating massive roster upsets. These are the unsung heroes, the overlooked veterans, and the medical gambles who are aggressively stealing starting jobs from established names.
If you ask the average fan to predict the starting lineup for opening day, their guesses will likely mirror the standard depth chart. However, football is not played on paper. It is played in the trenches, where grit, strategic scheme fits, and raw determination matter more than draft pedigree or media hype. Under the watchful eye of offensive architect Clint Kubiak and a completely revamped coaching staff, the criteria for earning a starting spot have drastically shifted. Let us dive deep into the five shocking surprise candidates who are actively staging a coup for a starting role with the silver and black.
The Trench Enforcer: Spencer Burford’s Vicious Redemption
The offensive line is the heartbeat of any successful run-first offense, and Clint Kubiak’s system relies entirely on violent, physical run-blockers who can impose their will on the defense. Enter Spencer Burford. Standing at a massive 6-foot-4 and weighing 300 pounds, Burford was brought in during the offseason on a modest one-year, $3.1 million “prove-it” contract. Because of the cheap price tag, many fans instantly dismissed him as a mere depth piece or a rotational backup. That assumption could not be further from the truth.
Burford spent his recent years battling in the trenches for the San Francisco 49ers, notably logging 820 snaps at right guard during the vital 2023 season—a year that Kubiak himself has heavily referenced as foundational to his offensive philosophy. While Burford has occasional struggles in pure pass protection, his run-blocking is notoriously ferocious. He plays with a nasty, unapologetic style that perfectly aligns with the Raiders’ desperate need to establish a dominant ground game. With intense competition across the interior line involving names like Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn, and Jordan Meredith, Burford’s sheer versatility to play both left and right guard, combined with his deep understanding of Kubiak’s blocking concepts, makes him a terrifying threat to take a day-one starting job.
The Small-School Technician: Charles Grant Defying the Odds
When the Las Vegas front office selected offensive tackle Charles Grant in the third round out of William & Mary, many critics immediately questioned the pick. How could a player from a small collegiate program possibly transition to the blinding speed and immense power of the professional level? Yet, as the offseason progresses, Grant is silencing every single doubter in the building.
Grant is locked in a fierce positional battle with DJ Glaze for the starting right tackle position. While Glaze struggled significantly last season—allowing a painful 10 sacks in a highly dysfunctional system—Grant is displaying the refined technique of a ten-year veteran. His footwork is impeccable, his arm placement is startlingly precise, and his ability to deliver a devastating initial punch to the chest of opposing edge rushers has left coaches in awe. The rookie posted a stellar 77.7 pass-blocking grade in his limited evaluation periods. While he may need to add a few more pounds of pure muscle to his frame to endure a grueling 17-game season, Grant’s superior pass-protection skills make him an incredibly dangerous dark horse to completely unseat DJ Glaze before the preseason concludes.
The Desperate Fix: Benito Jones and the Defensive Interior
It is a harsh reality that Raiders fans must face: the current interior defensive tackle room is widely considered to be one of the absolute worst in the National Football League. Aside from the reliable Adam Butler, the depth chart is a chaotic mix of unproven youth and inconsistent rotational players. This glaring weakness prompted the front office to make a desperate, late-spring move, signing the massive 6-foot-1, 335-pound Benito Jones on May 13th.
At first glance, Jones’s declining snap counts over the past few years might suggest he is on the back end of his career. However, this signing was entirely calculated based on deep-rooted coaching connections. Jones previously played under current Raiders assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson and defensive assistant Rob Leonard during their shared tenure with the Miami Dolphins. They know exactly how to unlock his specific skill set. While he has strangely struggled to stop the run despite his gargantuan size, Jones possesses a startling ability to generate an interior pass rush and collapse the pocket. In a defensive line desperate for any semblance of internal disruption to free up their star edge rushers, this massive enforcer’s prior relationship with the coaching staff practically guarantees him an inside track to a starting role.
The Ultimate Boom-or-Bust Gamble: Germad McCoy’s Comeback
Perhaps the most thrilling and terrifying storyline on the entire roster surrounds rookie cornerback Germad McCoy. Standing at 6-foot-0 and 192 pounds, McCoy is blessed with absolute, world-class speed, clocking a blistering 4.37-second 40-yard dash. Based on pure athletic talent and his incredible 2024 college tape, he was widely evaluated as a premier, top-10 defensive talent in the entire draft class. However, a horrifying knee injury—requiring a complex “bone plug” surgery—caused him to miss the entirety of 2025 and completely plummet down the draft boards until Las Vegas aggressively traded up to snatch him at pick 101 in the fourth round.
This is the definition of a high-risk, high-reward scenario. If the surgery does not hold, his career could tragically end before it even begins. But if McCoy is fully healthy? He is arguably the most talented cornerback in the building. Armed with elite ball skills and the pure fluidity to excel in both man and zone coverages, McCoy possesses a ceiling that far exceeds current roster options like Eric Stokes or Darien Porter. Because Kubiak’s regime specifically drafted him, they are deeply invested in his success. If his knee proves structurally sound during training camp, do not be shocked when this blazing-fast rookie steals the starting job and becomes a terrifying nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
The Hollywood Script: Kai “The Tokyo Toe” Matsuzawa
No position creates more anxiety for a football team in tight games than the kicker, and the Raiders have a battle brewing that sounds entirely fictitious. Last season, highly paid veteran Matt Gay inspired absolutely zero confidence, finishing the year with a dismal 73.9% field goal percentage. Enter Kai Matsuzawa, a wildly charismatic undrafted free agent affectionately dubbed “The Tokyo Toe.”
Matsuzawa’s origin story is legendary: he literally learned how to kick a football by painstakingly watching YouTube tutorials. He translated those online lessons into an absolutely historic collegiate career at Hawaii, boasting a mesmerizing 93.1% field goal percentage, nailing 72 of 72 extra point attempts, and setting a modern record with 26 consecutive made field goals. He is incredibly clutch, completely unfazed by pressure, and brings an electrifying energy to the special teams unit. While Matt Gay has historical ties to the special teams coordinator, money will not save him if he cannot perform. If Matsuzawa enters the preseason and flawlessly splits the uprights while Gay falters, the Las Vegas front office will have absolutely no choice but to hand the starting job to the YouTube sensation.
The 2026 Las Vegas Raiders are not just relying on their superstars to carry them to the postseason. They are quietly building a foundation comprised of hungry, overlooked underdogs who are fighting for their professional lives. From the gritty offensive line battles to a kicker who learned his craft on the internet, these five surprise candidates are poised to flip the roster upside down and inject a relentless, chaotic energy into the franchise.
