Raiders Training Camp Report 16: Evolving Expectations Emerge

Today will be my final update before the preseason game, and I want to do a deep dive into what is setting this camp apart and what you can really learn from the first preseason game.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

On a team with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with NFL executives swooning over Fernando Mendoza, you would not have expected so much attention to go to so many other rookies.

Perception would be wrong. While Mendoza has looked terrific, credit John Spytek and his staff of Brian Stark, Brandon Hunt, and Brandon Yeargan, and their respective staffs, for assembling a fantastic rookie class.

One for the Masses

The youngster Hezekiah Masses, CB, appears to be a fifth-round steal as he makes plays every single day all over the field. The biggest criticism of his game coming into the NFL was his lack of physicality on tape. It was a fair criticism, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t asked to. He is now making those criticisms look foolish. I asked him about his impressive physical nature and that criticism.

"Oh, yeah, I'm trying to take their head off. Yeah, that was a big issue, they said I can't tackle, so I'm going to show them. I'm going to show them very physical. I can do everything."

In the Michael Jordan Zone?

Once, while interviewing Michael Jordan, I asked him about when he performed at his highest level, about being in the zone, and what that was like. He told me, “Like the rim is 10 feet around, not high.” I have never forgotten that, and right now, Masses is playing in that proverbial zone, in my perception. I asked him.

“I'm in that zone for sure, just 100%. I'm just out there just making plays and just being myself. They calling great calls, and I'm just out there executing."

No Sense of Entitlement

Masses has been terrific and will clearly have an impact on the Raiders' 2026 season. But don’t say that too loud; he still thinks he is on the bubble and said he has his focus on making the 53-man roster. Hey, Hezekiah, you have.

“A goal for me is just make the 53-man roster, and then just be the best version of myself, be the best teammate I could be, and then just whatever I can do to contribute to help us win. That's what I'm going to do."

Not Just a Preseason Game for Masses

When Hezekiah speaks, the appreciation of being an NFL player exudes from him. You can see it every moment, every rep; he wants more, he will do more, and he loves the moments. While fans and many veterans even bemoan preseason games, Masses isn’t one of them.

He knows that it is special to play in the NFL, and since he was little, being in this league has been his dream. When you listen to him talk about Thursday night’s preseason tilt with Arizona, he makes it sound like a Super Bowl. It most certainly is for the young man who dreamed of being an NFL player. It was refreshing.

"Yeah, I'm just super excited, man. It feels so unreal, man. My first preseason game. I'm just happy for the opportunity. I'm just ready to play on Thursday."

'They Got Me Right'

Coming into the 2026 NFL Draft, Jermod McCoy was considered by most as the best CB in the draft. Concerns about a potential issue with a knee plug saw him plunge to the top of the fourth round. That plunge conceivably cost him $40 million. But he isn’t bitter; he is motivated, and credits the Raiders staff for having him in tip-top shape.

“I think it's been a great process with them. From the day I came in to now, the way I feel is so much better. AG [Alex Guerrero], all the guys in there, I feel like they just really been pouring into me. I mean, they got me right."

Malik Benson Praise From a Unique Place

Malik Benson, the WR the Raiders somehow managed to snare in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, has not been good; he has been sensational in his first NFL training camp. The coaches love him, and McCoy loves the chance to compete with him.

"Oh, it's been good. Me and Malik [Benson], man, every time I'm up against Malik, I love it because they love throwing to Malik. So, I know when I'm against Malik, the ball's probably coming there. So, I'm going to try to make a play."

The Rob Leonard Doctrine

The Raiders have been terrible on defense, creating and getting turnovers. But in adding new players, they have brought in ball hawks. Men who see the ball and get it. Something Jermod McCoy is known for, and he thinks he and the “Leonard Doctrine” are tailor-made for each other.

"I'm always trying to get the ball back, make plays on the ball. I mean, we want the offense on the field as much as possible to put points on the board. So, whatever we can do to get the ball back and help the team do that, that's what we're going to do."

For the Love of the Game

McCoy missed his entire 2025 season after his preseason knee injury. While incredibly gifted, he doesn’t take the game for granted. This is a game he loves. Like Masses earlier, getting back on the field Thursday night is going to be emotional for him. Not only achieving his dream of playing in the NFL, but also being back on the football field for a game, something he loves.

"For sure, there's definitely going to be some emotions."

Iron Sharpens Iron

McCoy has seen the success of fellow rookie CB Masses and thinks the two are helping each other, which is exactly what Spytek wanted in selecting four DBs in the 2026 NFL Draft. A decision that appears to be paying off, per McCoy.

“Me and Zeke [Hezekiah Masses], we talk a lot about stuff that we see, try to coach each other up on things. I feel like we're really similar with our mindsets. We both want to be the best. So, I mean, I think two rookies coming in and doing that, it's something. It's hard to find that for real, I think."

Respect for Kubiak

No matter who you talk to on this team, the appreciation for Klint Kubiak’s commitment to detail has them raving about the Silver and Black first-year head coach. Something rookie Trey Zuhn III echoes.

"I love working with him. He's extremely detailed. He expects the most out of us every single day, day in, day out. So, he's definitely taking this team where it needs to go."

Details 2.0

Zuhn, the top OL in the SEC last year, dug into the adjustment from the country's second-best conference (SEC) to the NFL and why he loves the challenge.

"Yeah, it's just more detailed. The competition's so much better; it's the best of the best. So, you can't be half a step wrong. You have to know the playbook like the back of your hand, and you have to study your teammates like they're an opponent every single day so you have a step on them. So, I've enjoyed it."

A Five-Tool OL

In the MLB, a five-tool player has mastery-level ability in the five core critical skills of playing baseball. Zuhn can play all five offensive line positions in the NFL, and does so seamlessly from one rep to the next. His football IQ is enormous, and when he does get a break, I often see him talking to Tyler Linderbaum, the Raiders' C and a generational talent, and Kolton Miller, one of the top-five LTs in the NFL. So what is it like as a young rookie having those two resources to draw from? I asked him.

"Right, those are amazing resources. So, I want to talk to them all I can. I just want to learn from them because they've been in the league, they know how it goes, they know football. So, whatever I can learn from them to help the team, I want to learn."

Handling the Mental Part

Switching from one play to another, or one series to another at a different position, wouldn’t be easy for anyone. Zuhn’s football acumen is off the charts, and he let us into his mental process for dealing with and playing so many different spots.

"Whenever I'm going in for a series and I'm at a certain position, I just have to lock in and be at that position. Because I've learned the playbook from a whole, so I know what everybody's doing, I just have to lock into the specific technique and that's become easier and easier every single day. So, whenever the team calls on me, I'll be ready at that position."

Spoken Like a True OL

Zuhn has waited a long time to fulfill his boyhood dreams of playing in the NFL, and Thursday night he will. But for him, he is ready to hit someone wearing a jersey that doesn’t represent the Raiders.

"Yeah, I can't wait to play in the game, get to hit a different color jersey and just work with the team. Put our hard work together and put it on a field and get a finished product out there. So, I'm just excited."

Here Comes the Nandolorian

Klint Kubiak was coy on how much he was going to play, but he wasn’t about his rookie, who the fans, the country, and Kubiak want to see.

"He's going to get plenty of experience in the game. Looking forward to seeing him out there with his teammates. A lot of guys that we need to evaluate, but he'll get plenty of reps."

The Rook Is for Real

Kubiak is stoic in personality. I like that. He isn’t synthetic, and I appreciate his being genuine. So when he does speak, it is imperative to listen closely and to hear not just what he says, but sometimes even what he doesn't say. He broke down Mendoza’s maturation, and you can tell he is impressed by the rookie.

"I just see he's continuing to grow. It's been a really impressive training camp as far as how he's prepared, and then he goes out there to practice, and things don't happen on the drawing, on the paper, and the playbook exactly how they do on the field, so I think he's done a good job of adjusting."

"And with all of our players, we just ask that as they gain experience and they make mistakes, they don't make the same mistake twice. I think that he's done a good job of that, and now it comes to live bullets with a live pass rush, and that'll be a whole other animal."

Reality vs. Fiction

People who love football might not always understand the nuances behind the scenes. The closer the team gets to the start of the regular season, reps in practice diminish for guys further down the depth chart as the team's eyes naturally drift upward to the regular season. I asked Kubiak if he is stressing that point to guys not secured in their roles, and his answer was rather verbose and revealing for a young man who loves to talk ball.

"Yeah, that's a really good point. That's something that we stressed early in camp with the guys. There's a lot of threes on these practice grips that doesn't stay that way forever. But honestly, I don't want them to make too big of a deal of it. I want them to treat practice like the game because if we're coaching it the right way, then that's how it should feel. Practice should be harder than the game, so I want them to trust their training and take their practice habits onto the game field."

Hoosier Hysteria

Immediately after Spytek and his staff signed Indian WR EJ Williams, I called him a UDFA hidden gem. He has had an exceptional camp, and I asked Kubiak to discuss the young man; again, he gave a detailed explanation of his development as he makes a push for the 53-man roster.

"Really love what EJ [ Williams Jr.] has done since he's got here. He's played on a national championship team. Used to come here with his quarterback, but he's a guy that has his nose down. He's working hard, learning the playbook, and when those reps that he gets with the threes, he's made some plays. So again, I think special teams will be really important for him on Thursday night."

Young Coaches Mistakes

One key area of hiring a first-time head coach is that young coaches make young coaching mistakes. We saw with Antonio Pierce the mistake of throwing the challenge flags. Those are normal, but for a detail-oriented person like Kubiak, I asked what he is doing with his veteran staff members to mitigate those risks and learning curves. Again, his answer took you into the mind of someone who doesn’t like football, but cherishes it.

"Very important. Mike McCoy, Rohit [Mogalayapalli], Joe DeCamillis, we spend a lot of time together. Our coordinators talking through situations and how things are going to play out and the mechanics of all those things that you discussed."

"And you can't duplicate the game. You need to go do it in the preseason, and we've got to go make sure our communication is very crisp, and we're on point and ready for situations before they occur. That's what the offseason is about, and we spend a lot of time with that. So, we're going to get put to the test on Thursday. So, we've got to go do our jobs."

Details, Details, Details

Benson, the rookie WR, talked about adjusting to Kubiak’s aforementioned commitment to the smallest details and how that shows up everywhere.

"Yeah, so if our route is at 12 yards, he wants it at 12 yards. He doesn't want anything cut short or anything too deep. I feel like when you have a head coach that is focused on the little things, it's going to make the program -- it just makes everybody want to be really good."

Not About Me

Benson hasn’t had a bad day since he arrived in Las Vegas. Through OTAs, minicamp, and now training camp, he has been on an upward trajectory. I asked him if he could appreciate how well he is playing, and here is a hint…no. That may be a good thing.

“I'm not really thinking about. I just know my hard work and my preparation is leading me to be able to come out and perform at practice. The help with the older guys just helped me be able to line up fast and to learn the playbook. I feel like when they welcomed me with open arms, it made it easy for me just to sit down and learn the playbook and be able to play fast because I was able to gain their trust really fast."

Say What About Mendoza? Benson Is Tripping?

Benson had a hilarious story about Mendoza when asked what it was like playing with him.

"So, he's my first quarterback that, if I've done something wrong, he'll come to me, he'll be like, 'Hey, you're tripping, I need you to do this.' I feel like that accountability for him being able to do that, and he sees that he can get on me and I can get on him. I feel like that just makes our relationship even better."

I Can Address That

Just like fellow rookie Masses, one of the biggest concerns universally among scouts in the NFL Draft was how Benson would adjust to the physicality of the NFL. DBs here are more hands-on, bigger, faster, and stronger. He saw the criticism and has done everything to prove the critics wrong. I asked him about it.

"Yeah, so going into that whole process, that was what I was hearing a lot. So, I knew that no matter when I was going to get picked up, I was going to get an opportunity to show what I can do. I got picked up by a great organization. So, each and every day, I just come with that chip on my shoulder to show everybody if you think I'm soft, then you're going to have to come out here and find out."

A Peek Into an NFL Friendship

Before Masses and Benson were selected by the Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft, they had a friendship. While both are having an excellent camp, Benson had to lay down the law a little to his buddy.

“I just told him straight up from day one like, 'I'm going against you. We could be buddy-buddy in the facility, but when we on the field, I don't really know who you are. I need your best.' He needs my best and he gives me a lot of great looks. I love going against him just because I know that when I step out there, he's going to bring his all in. When you've got two young guys that are trying to battle it out, that's all you can ask for. Just great competition.”

Release the Beast

Mike Washington Jr. (MWJ), the terrific rookie RB, is a rare mix of speed and raw physical power. He is a fast bulldozer. While we have seen glimpses of that, he can still put it on full display against his teammates. So I asked him about his excitement for Thursday night, to put it on full display.

"Really looking forward to it. It's been some time since I put on the pads and went against another team. The last game I really played was the last game of the Arkansas season, and that was some time ago, so really looking forward to it."

Explaining the Kubiak Run Scheme

MWJ explained what the Kubiak system is predicated on and how to adjust to it.

"Really just being physical and coming in and running with that mindset. When you run with a physical mindset, nobody really wants to tackle you. Especially being a bigger back, nobody really wants to deal with that physicality." He went on to describe his style as, "Downhill runner, punishing back, able to run you over, able to make you miss, and then once I get to the second level, hard to catch."

Kubiak’s Running Backs Are Weapons

Kubiak doesn’t want his RBs just running the football. They are active participants-weapons, in the passing game as well. That is something MWJ is thrilled about.

"Definitely a benefit, and definitely something that I'm still getting better at. Being in [Bobby] Petrino's offense back in Arkansas, he kind of put me everywhere. And then coming here, it's kind of the same thing where like you said before, coach is very detail-oriented, so he wants the best for us, and he wants to put the running back room, all the running backs, in different positions. So, whether it's in a slot or having us out wide, he puts us everywhere."

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