​When Klint Kubiak name-checked DJ Glaze while addressing the offensive line he inherited at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in late February, it grabbed my attention. His remark came after Glaze, Las Vegas’ third-round pick (77th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft, endured a rough sophomore season. PFF charted Glaze with 48 pressures allowed, including 10 sacks and six quarterback hits, and the Raiders’ right tackle was flagged as the worst offender for blown blocks last season. Given that context, it would be easy to chalk up Kubiak’s comments—“You have some stability at both tackle spots (Kolton Miller, DJ Glaze)”—to standard coach-speak.
A month later, during the league meetings in Arizona, Kubiak again spoke highly of Glaze. “Well, probably like everybody, especially on the offense, is just buy into this new system and just get familiar with it so that they can go play fast on Sunday,” Kubiak said. “And that’s our job as coaches. I think DJ is a really good young player.” Since then, nobody has displaced Glaze from the starting right tackle role. The 24-year-old (will turn 24 on August 4) has remained the lone starter on the right side throughout the offseason program and into training camp, which is just around the corner (rookies report July 23; veterans on July 28).
Beat reporters across several outlets have observed Glaze entrenched as the starting right tackle, with Miller continuing at left tackle. Glaze has repeatedly run with the first team during offseason activities and mandatory minicamps, reinforcing the impression that he will head into training camp as the unquestioned starter. It will be telling to see if he can maintain that grip once the team assembles for full practice schedules and preseason games.
Despite Glaze’s confirmed role in the spring, questions linger about how well his fit aligns with the blocking scheme that offensive line coach Rick Dennison and Klint Kubiak are installing in Las Vegas. The Raiders’ approach leans toward a power-based profile rather than a zone-heavy, athletic tempo. Glaze stands 6-foot-4 and weighs about 331 pounds, a frame that signals power rather than the nimble movement ideal for zone blocking. The reality is that Glaze operates more as a plodder than a mover, and the horizontal movement required by a wide, outside-zone scheme—where linemen must quickly move laterally, extend out into space, and seal athletic edge defenders to open running lanes and protect the passer—poses a challenge for him.
Footwork and quickness are critical in a zone-based system, and the Raiders’ preferred scheme asks linemen to be able to reach and climb, stepping in space to create seams for runners and provide a quarterback with comfortable angles to throw from. Glaze’s limited agility and his tendency to rely on power rather than speed or lateral quickness could hinder his effectiveness in such a system, particularly against agile edge rushers who can bend and dice through the gap with speed. The real question for Las Vegas is whether Glaze can adapt his technique to marry his power with the necessary footwork, balance, and hip flexibility to sustain his blocks when asked to move laterally at speed or reach and seal defenders on the edge.
Still, the early signals from the coaching staff have been encouraging. Glaze’s ability to absorb coaching, coupled with the trust he has earned from the staff, suggests there is a path for him to improve and perhaps refine his toolset to fit the scheme more cleanly than his college tape would indicate. If he can incorporate more foot speed and lateral awareness into his repertoire, he could bridge the gap between raw power and the athletic finesse that a zone-blocking approach demands.
In the end, the 2024 draft context matters. Glaze’s progression will influence not only his own trajectory but also how the Raiders structure their line moving forward. If he can demonstrate improvement in technique, balance, and footwork—transforming his natural power into a more complete all-around blocking profile—it would validate the decision to lean on him as a long-term fixture on the right side. As training camp approaches, the NFL world will be watching to see whether Glaze can keep his hold on the starting job and whether his game can evolve enough to meet the demands of a modern, versatile offensive line.