Key Notes From Day 3 of Raiders Training Camp

There were more than a few noteworthy aspects of practice, all of which revolved around how much improved the team has looked. Below are a few notes from the Raiders' third training camp practice. The team has Saturday off. They return on Sunday.

Brock Bowers’ True Impact Has Yet To Be Realized. He Will Thrive Under Kubiak

Bowers being a special and unique talent goes without saying. However, it was evident in camp that Bowers is finally in an offense and under a coaching staff that will know how to maximize his talent. Las Vegas' by-committee approach at receiver and improvement in the run game benefit him as well.

No longer will defenses be able to spend their entire week devising a game plan to stop Bowers. The third-year tight end had the best rookie season of any tight end in league history before an injury in Week 1 of the 2025 season hampered his sophomore year.

The third day of training camp gave a good idea of how productive Bowers can be. Yet, for as productive as Bowers was on day three with plays in practice that directly impacted the stat sheet, it was also noticeable how Bowers will work off of the approach at wide receiver and vice versa.

Bowers finally has a coaching staff that understands how to use him, whether the ball is going to him or not. That will be on full display early and often under Kubiak and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. If Bowers stays healthy, he will again solidify himself as the league's best tight end.

Raiders May Be Deeper at Wide Receiver Than What Meets the Eye

The Raiders made no secret of their plans to address the wide receiver position by committee moving forward. However, most understandably assumed Las Vegas would keep that largely between its best receivers: Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker, and presumably Jack Bech.

Training camp has shown the Raiders will be prepared at wide receiver beyond just those three. If Las Vegas' coaching staff had it their way, they would likely be able to plug and play several of the receivers further down their depth chart and still be productive.

Instead of allowing the lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver to be a detriment, as has been the case in the past, Las Vegas has leaned into it by adding numerous wide receivers with diverse skill sets. The unit still has a long way to go, and on paper, could use more proven receivers.

Still, development will be a significant part of the Kubiak regime. Wide receiver may be the position they depend on development more than others. Las Vegas' offense has a chance to thrive with a receiver-by-committee approach, especially with the right playcalling.

In actuality, Las Vegas does not lack a true No. 1 receiver. How they have their receiver room set up is by design, and Kubiak is ready to take full advantage of the doubts opposing defenses may have in the position group.

They need more work, and it is early in the process, but at camp, you can see the vision.

Mendoza Can Sling It!

For the second straight day, Mendoza completed some nice passes. He has had his misses, for sure. However, some passes and plays are hard to deny. Some are even harder to forget. On day three of camp, Mendoza had an unbelievable completion to Nailor that wowed everyone in attendance.

Assuming they continue to supply him with the proper supporting cast and coaching staff, Mendoza will be as advertised when the time comes. His accuracy and quick release are very, very real. No hype.