MOBILE, Ala. — It’s no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need to get running back Ashton Jeanty more help this offseason. The offensive line is projected to be a big need for the Raiders heading into the 2026 NFL draft, and using a mid-round pick on one of Jeanty’s former teammates, Boise State lineman Kage Casey, should be on the table for Las Vegas.
Casey helped pave the way for the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up to have one of the most historic seasons in College Football for a running back, racking up 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. I got a chance to talk to Casey and sit in on his press conference during the Senior Bowl’s media day, where he dove into playing with Jeanty and lining up at multiple positions at the next level.
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When I spoke to Casey and said I was going to ask him about Jeanty, his face immediately lit up. Here’s the quick Q & A with the former Bronco offensive lineman.
Q: Do you have experience playing multiple offensive line positions? What goes into your preparation for a practice where you’re lining up at different spots?
KC: You have to be extremely confident in your abilities. In college, I didn’t practice the other positions. But throughout NFL combine training, I’m over in Dallas with [well-respected offensive line trainer] Duke Manyweather, and he’s been great at preparing me for these other positions, other stances, and just getting my body right to stay in posture.
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Q: What’s the biggest piece of advice Manyweather has given you?
KC: He says it’s all right to get beaten, it’s not all right to stay beaten. That means if you’re hand swiped early on or a defensive lineman gets on an edge or whatnot, you just got to strain and strain to finish the rep, because that is what makes or breaks a block.
Q: What’s the biggest hurdle for you at the different positions, going from tackle to guard?
KC: From tackle to tackle—[Wednesday] I’ll be playing a little bit of right tackle—the big difference is just the change in stance. Completely flipping your hips and opening up the other way. So I just have to be confident in my abilities there. And then guard, almost fully a three-point stance [versus a two-point stance at tackle]. And the game speeds up a little bit as well, because you’re gonna be making your strikes and punches off the first step instead of the second step a lot of the time.
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Q: Do you have a preference for playing a certain position in the NFL?
KC: I’m open to playing wherever a team needs me.
Q: You were one of the players who drove to Mobile to avoid the storm. What was that drive like for you?
KC: It was great! A lot of the guys drove in one car. My wife wanted to skip the storm too, so we drove with our dog in a separate car. It’s good nine and a half hour drive. We drove the first little bit down to Houston, and then stopped in Lafayette. That was like six and a half hours. And then we finished the last three hours the next day. I mean, a lot of back roads, a lot of times it wasn’t main highways, and so I was just driving through pitch black darkness and just moving.
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Q: What does that say about how much you love football and wanted to compete at the Senior Bowl?
KC: I knew I needed to be at this game. I wanted to play against the best of the best. That storm could have stopped me in my tracks; I could have shown up late for interviews, which would have been a bad look for me. And I wanted to also get in the playbook as soon as possible. So, I mean, driving through it was a no-brainer for me. It was just what I had to do for this. And I mean, I really love football. I’ve been playing it since third grade. Started Pop Warner, it’s a great sport.
Q: What elevates you in a competition against these guys?
A: My desire to keep growing. As an o-lineman, you have four other guys with you cheering you on, guys in the back of the one-on-ones cheering you on. I mean, we got a great camaraderie in the team room, and so we’re just pushing each other every single rep as well.