Kubiak has already secured veteran Mike McCoy, a smart move for a young head coach needing a sounding board. But the offensive line is the heartbeat of this team, and right now, that heartbeat is irregular at best. Bringing Benton over from Seattle isn’t just a “good idea”—it’s the quickest way to turn a patchwork unit into a wall.
Benton isn’t just a coach with 30 years of experience; he’s a mechanic for broken engines. His resume speaks for itself, but his work over the last two seasons with Kubiak—first in New Orleans, then in Seattle—proves he knows exactly what the young head coach wants to run.
The Seahawks just bullied New England’s defense for four quarters. That didn’t happen by accident. It happened because Benton took a group of misfits and turned them into road graders. If Kubiak wants to replicate that “Shanahan-style” wide-zone violence in the desert, he can’t do it with a translator. He needs the guy who wrote the book.
To lure him away from a defending champion, Mark Davis will need to open the checkbook. Give Benton the title of Run Game Coordinator. Give him the pay raise. Whatever it costs, it’s cheaper than watching Patrick Mahomes scramble around a collapsed pocket for another decade.
“You look at what Benton did with Jalen Sundell. Kid was an undrafted rookie, nobody knew his name. Six months later? He’s starting in the Super Bowl and locking down the middle. That’s the Benton effect. He doesn’t just coach talent; he manufactures it.”
— NFC West Scout, on Benton’s impact in Seattle
The Raiders aren’t devoid of talent; they’re devoid of cohesion. Kolton Miller remains the anchor, but the youth movement needs direction. The previous staff collected talent but failed to build a unit. That changes with Benton.
Look at the roster. You have Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze entering a critical Year 3. You have 2025 draft picks like Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant who have flashed potential but need refinement. These guys are massive, athletic balls of clay. Benton is the sculptor.
We saw Benton take Seattle’s line—a unit many wrote off before the 2025 season—and mold it into a top-5 rushing attack. Imagine what he could do with Powers-Johnson’s raw power or Grant’s length. The Raiders are close to having an above-average line. A hire like this bridges the gap between “promising” and “dominant.”
Kubiak has the scheme. He has the quarterback of the future in mind for the draft. But none of it matters if the front five can’t hold up. Hiring John Benton is a home run swing for a franchise that has been hitting singles for too long.
