Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter said the Raiders’ coaching staff is “very high” on second-year guard Caleb Rogers, adding that the 2025 third-round pick could push for a starting job by the end of the season.
A day later, the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore took that sentiment a step farther.
“I thought Caleb Rogers had a really strong day yesterday,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate.
“[He is] somebody that I think is pushing for a starting job, and that might be bad news for somebody by the name of Jackson Powers-Johnson, [who] was not out there. Another situation that he’s dealing with physically, unfortunate for Jackson Powers-Johnson. But we’ve been talking about this day after day throughout the first two years of his career. Can he stay healthy?
Can he be out there? Can he be reliable? Can he be consistent?”
“Right now, that’s another big if and Caleb Rogers has taken advantage of that,” Bonsignore continued. “I would not be surprised if he’s a starting guard along with Spencer Burford when the start of the season begins in September.”
Not only have two insiders pointed to Rogers as a potential starter along the Raiders’ offensive line, but both have also named Powers-Johnson as the player he would theoretically replace.
It continues to sound like Spencer Burford will be a “starter” going into training camp next month, but a lot can change between now and the start of the season.
The other young player to watch is Trey Zuhn III, who the Raiders selected in the third round of this year’s draft. Zuhn could bounce around as a backup option anywhere along the offensive line, but he could also push for a starting job at right tackle if D.J. Glaze isn’t able to hold onto the job.
x: @raidersbeat
Glazed doughnut should’ve been demoted if not cut as soon as the season ended.