Football just can't start soon enough for Las Vegas Raiders fans, who are desperate to see their team at least put a better product on the field during the 2026 NFL season than they did last year. While the Raiders are taking baby steps right now, the sport we love is slowly creeping back, little by little.
One of the fairly larger steps that they take, though, is strapping on the pads after a series of training camp practices in shells. The Silver and Black have now completed two such sessions with the pads on, so they'll head into an off day on Wednesday with a whole lot to evaluate and learn from.
After just one practice, it can be hard to draw any firm conclusions. For us, recapping that was more about giving players credit for a strong start or confirming what fans saw in the previous days. But trends can start to develop through even just two days, and that is what we are here to point out.
So, here are five positive trends, which we will call signs of progress, that we have noticed after two training camp practices in full pads.
5 positive trends from the first two days of Raiders padded practices
WR group has best day yet
Following a rough start to the late summer, the wide receiver group has been flashing a bit. Namely, Malik Benson and Jalen Nailor are stacking days and coming along nicely for the offense. But on Tuesday, the whole group brought it, according to reports from several in attendance.
It sounds like Kirk Cousins is building a real rapport with Nailor and Tre Tucker, and Benson is with Fernando Mendoza. ESPN's Ryan McFadden even thinks that those three are the Raiders' top three receivers at this juncture. To me, it's just nice that they have three they feel that they can rely on.
DJ Glaze bounces back in major way
Reports indicated that Glaze struggled to begin training camp, which was a bit worrisome for a team that didn't exactly add a ton of competition for him at right tackle this offseason. But even though he is tasked with stopping Maxx Crosby at practice, he showed signs of growth on Tuesday.
The Athletic's Sam Warren noted that he fared better against Crosby and helped pave some lanes in the run game, and McFadden also listed Glaze as a player who stood out among Las Vegas' offensive line. Hopefully, he continues to trend in this direction as the practices go on.
First signs of life from several youngsters
Beat writers can only see and report on so much, but a few players got their first shoutouts of camp when the pads came on. Among them are second-year offensive tackle Charles Grant, who made some nice plays in the run game, and rookie Keyron Crawford, who made run stops on the other side.
Decamerion Richardson got some flowers as well from a handful of reporters, and he is back to rotating in a bit with the first-team defense. And Jack Bech even made some plays, notably a stutter-go against Zeke Masses, where he hauled in a nice ball from Mendoza.
Offensive line keeps making strides
The consensus from everyone was that the offensive line looked improved, which is the one report that practically all of Raider Nation was waiting on. It can be hard to evaluate trench play without the pads, but Rick Dennison's group is answering the bell early on.
This is particularly notable because not only are they learning a new scheme that is very precise, but they are doing so in live action against a much-improved Raiders defense. So, let's hope that Dennison's unit continues to progress throughout the preseason.
Late-round rookies continue to look worth their salt
Players like Masses, Benson, Jermod McCoy and Mike Washington Jr. were always going to look great in a T-shirt and shorts. Heck, even in shells. But a big question remained about how they would fare when the pads came on, and the physicality of the NFL was in front of them.
By all accounts, each of these players is answering the bell in the early going. Not all of them are starring, but they are continuing to make plays and impress when contact is allowed, which is a very positive sign for this young core in Las Vegas.
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