Raiders' Fernando Mendoza needs two things to play this season

With the first week of Las Vegas Raiders training camp in the books, scouts and analysts are high on their No. 1 pick.

Fernando Mendoza has turned heads early on, and it looks like all the hard work from the early offseason is paying off for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Of course, the Raiders will still roll with Kirk Cousins at first, as Mendoza is still far behind in terms of learning how to play under center.

Nevertheless, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wouldn't be shocked if Mendoza were to take the field at some point this season, provided that two conditions are met. 

The Raiders could still play Fernando Mendoza this year 

"But early signs here are good. Whether he’ll play at some point this year remains an open question and, in my mind, gets determined by two elements: his readiness to play, of course, and the team’s readiness to support him," Breer wrote. 

Still, the Raiders are in no rush with this situation. Cousins is a proven veteran who's already familiar with HC Klint Kubiak, and it's not like they have Super Bowl aspirations this season.

Of course, the plan can always change, for better or worse, depending on how they fare in the early stages of the season and Mendoza's development. But for now, they must focus solely on what's best for their prized quarterback. There's no need to rush and throw him into the fire until he's absolutely ready to take the reins of the offense.