From Fernando Mendoza’s strong outing to an offensive line finding its rhythm, here are the biggest takeaways from Day 2 of Las Vegas Raiders camp.
Las Vegas’s offense quickly found its rhythm on Thursday. Although it’s only a few days into training camp, there seems to be a sharper focus among these Raiders. They simply appear, well, better.
Fernando Mendoza kept it simple and effective, connecting on a 25-yard strike to Deven Thompkins before threading a tighter, more difficult ball to Brandon Johnson near the sideline. Kirk Cousins, not to be outdone, calmly stepped away from Maxx Crosby’s pressure and delivered a play-action pass to Brock Bowers that looked like a Sunday snap in July.
#Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza was back with the second-team offense on Day 2 of training camp. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/9zTsNw54Af
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) July 30, 2026
Related: Andrew Janocko’s unit looks to be ahead of schedule
Ashton Jeanty provided the highlight of the day. He bounced a run outside and turning it into a sprint down the sideline that had the practice crowd buzzing.
I asked Ashton Jeanty how this offense contributes to his strengths. He said improving as a route runner was a focus this offseason and believes Klint Kubiak’s offense will showcase his versatility. pic.twitter.com/NSdXYZZeBQ
— Alexa Belcastro (@alexabelcastro2) July 30, 2026
Up front, the line questions are starting to answer themselves. Spencer Burford and Jackson Powers-Johnson worked with the first team at guard for a second straight practice, quietly suggesting the earlier guard shuffle wasn’t just a one-off experiment.
On defense, Tonka Hemingway earned real first-team snaps, and Crosby, again, made life miserable for whoever had the ball, run or pass. It’s safe to say that the botched trade for the Baltimore Ravens is aging like milk at this point.
Is there a QB competition for the Raiders or not?
And then there’s the question everyone at camp seems to be asking: does Mendoza actually look faster than Cousins in his dropback? The eye test says yes. Whether that’s mechanics, comfort, or just rookie energy, it’s the kind of thing that gets more interesting every practice.
The narrative of camp after two days isn’t solely focused on who’s starting. It’s also about the number of answers this offense appears to be uncovering even before the pads are put on.
*Top Photo: Courtesy of NFL.com