The Las Vegas Raiders are having a strong training camp ahead of preseason and QB Fernando Mendoza has had an impressive showing thus far.
Being the worst team in the National Football League is hard to endure during the season, but it pays off in the end when you get to draft the top player available during the offseason.
For the Las Vegas Raiders, that was Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, as the franchise was without a cornerstone QB to build around for the future. Mendoza was outstanding amid a perfect season for the Hoosiers and was the clear-cut favorite to land in Las Vegas by the half-way point of the year.
Head coach Klint Kubiak isn’t a fan of starting rookie quarterbacks unless a change is needed, so veteran Kirk Cousins is expected to be the starter going into the season, but Mendoza has been making the most of the reps he has gotten in training camp and that includes some with the projected starters.
Mendoza has looked sharp and is building chemistry with his receivers, including another player that isn’t expected to start but is working extremely hard to prove his worth. Sixth-round pick Malik Benson, who was drafted 195th overall, has built a nice rapport with Mendoza in the early going.
“In the team's final practice before the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Mendoza relied heavily on the sixth-round wide receiver,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote Tuesday. “He connected with Benson on an out route while playing with the second-team offense. Later in practice, Mendoza zipped the ball through tight coverage to Benson on a slant route.”
The connection between the two began at the scouting combine in February, two months before they were drafted to the Raiders, and the bond has only gotten stronger.
“The former Oregon pass catcher said after they were both drafted by the Raiders, he wanted to make sure he could be a player who Mendoza could rely on.”
Benson is trying to be in the right place at the right time and expects Mendoza to serve passes that find him in those spots. There’s room to move on the Raiders depth chart at receiver, and just because he was taken in the sixth round doesn’t mean he can’t play ball.
Having that connection with the QB of the future will do Benson wonders as he navigates his first season in the NFL, and Mendoza having an additional safety blanket will only help his confidence grow as he embarks on being the guy Las Vegas drafted him to be.
The Raiders will host the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday at 5 p.m. PDT on ESPN Unlimited for their first preseason game.
