Raiders Training Camp Report 19: Inside the Dog Day Revelations

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders just completed their 12th practice of training camp, and today was their 21st day of the full team being assembled.

They head out tomorrow afternoon for Houston, where they will have a joint practice with the Texans on Tuesday and a preseason game (No. 2) on Thursday.

Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

But before they go, they still have one more practice here, tomorrow morning.

What I Saw Today

This franchise is in the middle of a rebuild, and because of that, not only are the players evolving and growing, but so are the franchise and the staff.

So, before we talk about some specific players (veterans and rookies), let's first dig into some other areas that are shining through.

1. Klint Kubiak is making the game simple. Sure, he is known and lauded as one of the most creative minds in the game, but he is a fundamentals guy, and you see it every day in practice. I asked him about it today.

Klint Kubiak, Mike Mc Coy | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

"I think I'd rather be known for being fundamentally sound. That's things that we stress offensively, and as you put more and more film on tape, you get more and more predictable. So, you've got to keep finding ways to evolve. But as a coach, I'd rather be much more about the basics and being great at the fundamentals, so that's what we're going to harp on."

2. Old-school football is back in the Silver and Black. With a commitment to running the ball and having a fullback, Kubiak discussed why those ingredients of old-school football are so important.

May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Running the ball is important, we think that's a huge part of winning football games. Running the ball, stopping the run on defense. Just in our scheme, it's a very versatile player. Guy that plays tight end, plays fullback, that can pass pro, that has to be a four-core special teams player, he's got to be one of the smartest players on your team.”

3. Kubiak’s creativity has won over so many of the veterans, and it is his style that has swayed them. FB Connor Heyward explained how the Kubiak mind works and how that scheme is shaping up.

"Coach Kubiak has a lot of bags of tricks up his sleeve, and you guys saw that in Seattle with all the guys they had. But here we have a lot of guys as well. You've got Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Brock Bowers obviously, Michael Mayer, Ashton Jeanty, Mike Washington Jr., Dylan Laube. There's a bunch of capable guys, and it's just everybody buying in and doing their job, and I think we have a team that's very team-oriented. That's going to get you out of dark times when you need it."

Rookies

Mike Washington Jr | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

To me, the rookies had the biggest day, and on a team with this much youth, I am sure the coaches were thrilled to see it.

It doesn’t mean that the veterans were bad, far from it, but what it does mean is that in a rebuilding season, the young guys are making themselves visible for positive things.

QB Fernando Mendoza

The young man every day flashes the skill set that had NFL executives ranking him the best prospect at his position in the last four NFL Drafts.

Was he perfect today? Of course not, but he did show off his monster arm, pinpoint accuracy, and the work ethic that got him here.

When his time was over on the field, after a QB-center exchange in which he pulled out too quickly and the ball hit the grass, he immediately went to the sidelines, called for his center, and took additional reps.

Every day for the Nandolorian is a developmental process, and he is making the most of it. I expect him to get extended reps with the first string next week, and the battles with the Houston defense will be an enormous blessing to his learning curve at QB.

Kubiak said a lot (for him) about his young star after practice.

"I just want him to just keep getting better. Him, Aidan [O'Connell], Kirk [Cousins], all those guys just keep improving. There's not one thing we're looking for. There's a million things but we've got to get him focusing on the details of each play and take it one rep at a time down to down. And if he has that mentality as well as the other guys, they will continue to improve."

WR EJ Williams

He had one significant drop, but otherwise he was very good today. He was fluid, moved in and out of his breaks with ease, and showed a commitment to helping his teammates as a blocker.

Additionally, I was very impressed with his commitment to selling the pass when the ball wasn’t going to him.

WR Chase Roberts

Chase Roberets | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Can’t say enough good about this young man. The longer camp goes, the better he plays. While I do see a scenario where he and EJ Williams make the team as part of GM John Spytek’s hidden-gem UDFA class, if only one makes it, I'd give that edge to Roberts.

He is a tough kid who looks like a killer as a blocker, tough as a pass catcher, and on special teams, he plays like a tomahawk missile.

I asked Kubiak about his development: "He's had a solid camp. He's improving. I can't say enough good things about Coach [Zach] Azzanni, the way he develops those guys, and so technical and attention to detail. Really appreciate Coach Z."

Aug 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Malik Benson (19) during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WR Malik Benson

Seems like every single day this young man leaps into my reporting, and never for a bad reason. Some big plays today as he continues to earn the trust of all of his quarterbacks.

I was very impressed today by his toughness with the contested catches. He and Fernando work effortlessly together as if they have been doing it for years. All QBs have their guy, and it is becoming apparent that he and Fernando have that connection.

Kubiak sees the connection coming along as well.

"Yeah, time on task helps everybody get better. So, that's got to keep getting better. Malik [Benson], he's jumped in there with the ones at times as well, and he's earned those reps. But he's got to stay humble and stay hungry."

DB Treydan Stukes

Stukes took reps with the ones today and made the most of it. In Rob Leonard's defense, they love variety and creativity, and he has it. Playing S, CB, LB, and nickel are all things he can do as a rookie, and they envision him in a Taron Johnson-type role with development.

He's still learning the nuances of some new things, so this isn’t a representation of perfection, but it is a statement of fact: he is farther along than I would have expected at this point, given all they are throwing at him.

Treydan Stukes | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Watching him move seamlessly is impressive, and his quick ability to spot and diagnose his mistakes speaks to his football acumen.

Kubiak appreciates what he is seeing from him.

"He did in the game what he's been doing in practice. He's been a consistent player. Another really young player on our roster that needs reps and turns, and going against Houston this next week will be a great opportunity for him to grow."

CB Hezekiah Masses

Masses is doing things every day to stay in the news, and like fellow rookie Benson, not for bad reasons.

Today, Kirk Cousins underthrew a ball; he looked back, saw it, adjusted, and snagged the interception.

In fairness, that was not a ball Cousins would throw in a game, but for the young man to see it, pivot, adjust, and get the INT was a very big play and a very big deal.

Veterans

RG Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ)

In the battle with Caleb Rogers for the starting RG spot, I believe that while the battle is not over, he has a slight lead. He has worked his tail off and been very consistent. His lead isn’t based, in my opinion, on Rogers failing - far from it - but more on the maturation of JPJ, and this is still a battle.

QB Kirk Cousins

He had one interception today, but as previously stated, it wasn’t a pass he would have made in a game. He put the ball all over the field, showed amazing situational awareness, and eluded defenders not by being fleet of foot, but by being smart in the head.

This offense works easily with him, and he is in total command.

Kirk Cousins, Tyler Linderbaum | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

His ability to read a defense is quick; his checks are concise, and while not every play will work in the NFL, you can at least trust that Cousins will have them in the right play. No Brock Bowers today (excused), and the WRs as a unit didn’t have their best day, but he still performed at a high level.

FB Connor Heyward

The versatile FB, TE, RB, and special teams weapon can do so many things in the creative Kubiak system that he's tailor-made for this scheme.

Constantly teaching not just the backfield guys, he is also helping young players see and identify things, and when he steps into the hole at the point of attack, he is violent.

He discussed the versatility of a fullback in the Kubiak scheme.

"Yeah, you can throw the ball, run the ball, stretch the defense horizontally and vertically. But that's Coach [Kubiak] and his scheme. It's just not myself. It's just a scheme and buying in honestly. You guys saw that on the first drive and you guys saw that glimpsed throughout the game. But we just got to ultimately put it together, and it's not the finished product right now, and we don't want it to be. We just want to continue to get better, and this camp is about growth, and the season is about growth."

TE Ian Thomas

Yet again, the grizzled veteran is one of the best blocking TEs in the game and a bona fide special-teams savant, but he has been showing off some wheels and pass-catching ability.

He has been very impressive in how he has made himself a threat in the passing game, and the Raiders are better because of his growth.

OT Charles Grant

The young man out of William & Mary is entering his sophomore season in the NFL, but the dysfunction of the organization last season will give him a mulligan.

Under the tutelage of Rick Dennison, he has flourished.

Today, he built on his terrific performance versus the Cardinals by showing explosion off the snap and getting the second level with power and athleticism.

Charles Grant | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

You can see why so many teams wanted him, and with the coaching he desperately needed, you can also see the brilliance of Spytek's vision.

Kubiak praised his growth today when I asked about him.

"Yeah, I would say that Charles [Grant] is working his tail off. Rick [Dennison] and Mario [Jeberaeel] and Ben [Wilkerson] and Coach Pete [Collins], and that's their job to get those guys better. Charles knows that he has to take another step in his career, and he's been about the work. He's just got to keep improving, like all these young guys."

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