Did the Raiders find a sleeper in sixth round wide receiver Malik Benson?
Benson garnered numerous favorable mentions at OTAs, and this week ESPN’s Ryan McFadden referred to the ex-Oregon wide receiver as the offseason surprise in Las Vegas.
“The Raiders drafted Benson in the sixth round with the belief that the former Oregon wideout could be a vertical threat who opens up the offense and makes explosive plays,” McFadden wrote this week.
“[Benson] showcased that ability throughout OTAs and minicamp. He and quarterback Fernando Mendoza developed a strong connection during practices. Benson was Mendoza’s go-to target during team drills, especially in the middle of the field. The competition at wide receiver is pretty much wide open, meaning Benson has a chance to create a role for himself in Year 1 if his production continues during training camp.”
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter said he believes Benson will make the final roster and play a key role on special teams.
“The best thing that happened to Malik Benson is Zach Azzanni. I have talked to you guys ad nauseam about Zach Azzanni . He is not a good wide receiver coach. Zach is a great wide receiver coach, and I’ve been telling you all along I love this hire,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“You can see Malik just every single practice [gain] confidence. The guy’s a burner. [He has] speed to burn.
Running his routes, the way he’s running them, hands, acceleration after the catch. Malik Benson is a guy [that] I think is going to make this team as a sixth rounder…I think he’s going to be damaging on special teams.”
Elsewhere on the roster, former Raider great Lincoln Kennedy said he’s a big fan of Fernando Mendoza, but has reservations about putting him on the field too soon…
Lincoln Kennedy wants to see the Raiders’ O-Line before seeing Mendoza
“As far as development and everything that I’ve read and I’ve seen, is that [Mendoza] is at the place they want him to be, and that’s good because unlike Cam Ward with Tennessee last year, or Caleb Williams the other year with Chicago, there’s no urgency for that first pick to start right now,” Kennedy said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show.
“I think they’re smart because until we see how this offensive line gels and comes together, until I see that starting five play together, I’m worried first and foremost up front. I could give a **** how Fernando Mendoza’s footwork is, if he’s on his back, he’s doing nobody no good.”
Pat McAfee believes Mendoza is ready for the field now
McAfee has long been a fan of Mendoza, and the popular ESPN personality has switched his position on how long the rookie needs to take in the game on the sideline.
“[Mendoza is] already talking the right way,” McAfee said on the Pat McAfee Show this week. “He’s come on our show and talked about how defenses are puzzles and he’s trying to figure out the puzzle, and in real time, he’s trying to do it. He can move, he can run, [and] he can throw.”
“Now he’s got Tom Brady teaching him how to be the perfect leader out there. I feel like Mendoza is going to do some good things with the Raiders..’ I was (on the side of] Kirk Cousins needs to start and let [Mendoza] kind of watch. Now I’m at the point of let the boy play.”
Vinny Bonsignore says Kirk Cousins might not be QB1 out of the gate
Training camp and preseason will go a long way toward figuring out the plan for Mendoza, but at least one team insider believes Mendoza has a legitimate chance of starting week one.
“I think that there’s people in that building who fully expect Fernando to put himself right in the running to start day one. Flat out, I don’t think there won’t be any hesitation to start him if that is the case and there’s people in the building [that] kind of fully expect that to be the case,” the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate this week.
“So I’m not ruling out rule week one and… I think it would almost be a waste not to play him this year, because I’m looking at 2027 as the year where things really in a powerful way for the Raiders, they are really announcing themselves. So why would you wait until 2027 or late in this season and [to] not take full advantage of this year as a development year for Fernando Mendoza on the football field, not behind the scenes watching Kurt Cousins?”
“I think that would be my preference and I think that there are people in the building that are going to be open minded about, okay, if he’s ready to go out there and acquit himself and he’s not going to get destroyed by the offensive line and we feel good about that part of it, I feel like they’ll make that decision. Now we’ll have to wait and see because anything can happen in training camp one way or the other, but they are open minded about getting him on the field as quickly as possible.”
x: @raidersbeat
WOW. Everyone is an expert now!! Just go out and kick *** and win some games!! Especially the P.O.S. Broncos!! F those guy’s!!
Pat who? Oh, the punter that parlayed that leg into a mouthpiece. 😂😂😂💩
I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again, NOTHING ( no position group in football ) is MORE IMPORTANT than THE OFFENSIVE LINE!!! Lincoln Kennedy has it right!!! What made the Raiders great, and ANY team successful, is the play of their offensive line. This fact IS NO mystery to ANYONE who knows ANYTHING about football. Ask Joe Burrow, who in my opinion is the best quarterback in pro football, from a thrower’s perspective. Also, from my perspective, the Raiders should have, and still should, trade for Joshua Dobbs who is younger, more athletic and cheaper than Kirk Cousins. Oh well, another missed opportunity by the Raiders, what’s new? And, for those of you who want Mendoza to start immediately I say, HIS TIME WILL COME!!! The NFL IS NOT college football and he needs time to acclimate to the speed of the game. Further, the Raiders would be well served to hire Phillip Rivers, who has seen EVERYTHING defenses can throw at a quarterback, to help mentor not only Mendoza but also Kirk Cousins. The reason I’m sure that NONE of these recommendations will come to fruition is because Raiders management routinely shun pragmatism in favor of unbridled optimism. Long ago, someone coined the phrase, “Experience is the best teacher.” Apparently, current Raiders management has yet to learn this lesson. So, the debacle, that is the Las Vegas Raiders continue until they do.