It has been a long and quite eventful offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, at least in totality. Although Raider Nation has finally felt some solitude over the last month, the team still hired a new head coach and staff this offseason, recast a significant portion of the roster and added 30 (!) rookies to the mix.
Reports from spring practices and from inside the building have been all positive so far, but an honest evaluation can begin this week when Las Vegas takes the field for training camp. With the pads on, there's no hiding who will or will not contribute in the 2026 NFL season, nor how Klint Kubiak is doing.
And a bit of anxiety comes with that, both for those at Raiders HQ and for the fans awaiting updates. It should be a spirited end-of-summer session, as plenty of players are getting a fresh start and no shortage of roster battles will take place, some of which could reveal some real roster progress.
If we continue to look on the positive side of things, a few unexpected but welcome storylines could materialize out of training camp as well. Here are five things that could soon unfold at camp that would be pleasant surprises, but are also entirely possible and Raiders fans should hold out hope for.
Raiders fans should hold out hope for these 5 things at training camp
Fernando Mendoza earns QB1 role
Let's start with the obvious one. Everyone has seemingly anointed Kirk Cousins as the starter, even though those same people know it will be short-lived and Mendoza will take the reins at some point. But why can't that happen as soon as Week 1 after an inspiring camp and preseason for the rookie?
Yes, Las Vegas has a plan in place for Mendoza that it likely wants to see through. But plans change rapidly in the NFL, and nobody should rule out the No. 1 overall pick with every accolade under his belt coming in and beating out a veteran who, if we're being honest, is far from being in his prime.
The future simply cannot come fast enough for Raider Nation, which has watched this team cycle through veteran after veteran under center. And Mendoza is the future, but that doesn't mean that he can't also be the present. Recent history indicates that he won't be on the sideline for long, either way.
Young WRs step up and look formidable
For as much praise as the Silver and Black got this offseason, they've been reamed for not adding more to the wide receiver room. But John Spytek seems to be content with who the Raiders have in-house, and maybe the fanbase will be pleasantly surprised by how they perform at camp.
As I've said all offseason, this room is short on proven production, but not promise. With a coaching staff full of great teachers, why can't these young players start to prove themselves? Perhaps none of them turn into a bona fide No. 1, but they can be a "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" group.
Both trenches look improved with pads on
Evaluating the offensive and defensive line during OTAs and mandatory minicamp is like nailing Jell-O to the wall; it's impossible. But with the pads now on, the Raiders' staff can get a better idea of whether these improvements that they made on paper will actually pan out in practice.
Both groups simply need to be better, as football is won in the trenches. Last year, the offensive line was the worst in the NFL, and the defensive line, although not necessarily a disaster, left plenty to be desired, particularly when it came to the pass rush.
Fans should feel confident about the moves that the front office made to address both units, especially when it comes to coaching. Something tells me that this could be a physical and athletic front on both sides of the ball. Let's hold out hope that it is.
Linebacker and safety depth look capable of roles
While the top of the linebacker room has certainly improved, the Raiders need to see something out of their depth. Cody Lindenberg had a great spring, and Tommy Eichenberg has shown promise as well. If these two continue to impress, the linebacker corps will be unrecognizable from last year.
When it comes to the safety room, again, the unit is top-heavy. But if rotational pieces like Isaiah Pola-Mao and Dalton Johnson can look capable of shouldering some of the load, then Las Vegas can feel a lot better about the back end of this defense.
Again, with a coaching staff that prides itself on speaking the same language and developing players, Raider Nation can feel optimistic about depth pieces suddenly looking capable of taking on roles. Hopefully, training camp shows us just that.
Jermod McCoy and Nakobe Dean show up with clean bill of health
McCoy's name is synonymous with injuries at this point, and he missed a portion of the spring program. While that was by design, fans should hold out hope that he'll be a full participant during training camp, and he at least shows glimpses of being the player Raiders fans know he can be.
Dean also has a lengthy injury history, and he missed all of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, somewhat mysteriously. However, Las Vegas needs him to perform this season and for years to come, so let's be positive and manifest that he'll be ready to go and dominating with pads on come Wednesday.
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