The Raider have most of their starting offensive line set with left tackle Kolton Miller, right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, and right tackle Delmar Glaze all returning from last year’s squad.
Las Vegas also signed Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, leaving left guard as the only uncertain spot. Among the top candidates for the job is offseason signing Spencer Burford, per Vincent Bongisnore of the California Post. The 25-year-old brings familiarity not only with Klint Kubiak‘s scheme, but with the new head coach himself. He also has more playing experience than any other guard on the Raiders’ roster.
Originally, a fourth-round pick by the 49ers in 2022, Burford started 16 games at right guard as a rookie. In 2023, while Kubiak was San Francisco’s passing game coordinator, he made another 13 starts at right guard with a handful of snaps at right tackle. Burford did not start any games the following year, but saw time at left guard and tackle.
In 2025, Burford landed on injured reserve after Week 2 and took over the starting left guard job upon his return in Week 9. He started every game for the rest of the year, though several of them featured a timeshare with Ben Bartch until he suffered a season-ending injury.
Burford’s main competition is likely veteran Jordan Meredith, who has primarily played left guard during his four seasons in Las Vegas but did not line up there at all last year. Also in the mix is Atonio Mafi, a Patriots 2023 fifth-round pick who started two games at left guard for the Raiders in 2025.
Glaze, it’s worth noting, gave up 10 sacks last year, per Pro Football Focus, the second-most of any tackle, so Las Vegas could consider a change at right tackle, too. Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers, the Raiders’ third-round tackles in 2024 and 2025, would likely have a better shot at displacing Glaze than Burford, but he does have some experience at the position in a system similar to Kubiak’s.