Mendoza made a few tight window throws to Malik Benson, a chemistry that's arguably been the strongest between a quarterback and receiver
throughout all of camp. He also connected with Dare Ogunbowale out the backfield, and down the field to Phillip Dorsett II and Deven Thompkins for big gains. Mobility was a huge plus as well, evading pressure in the pocket and scrambling for decent yardage a few times
Sam Warren·
There wasn’t much positivity surrounding the Raiders’ receiving corps heading into offseason practices. After sending away Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline in November, Las Vegas didn’t make a splashy move to add a wideout in free agency or the draft. That left the team with two receivers who have never eclipsed 500 yards in a season: Tre Tucker and Phillip Dorsett, who hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2023. However, there were signs that the Raiders might have found value in Benson. The sixth-round pick made several plays during rookie minicamp, and that extended into practices with veterans. Benson showed the ability to take the top off of defenses, getting behind the Raiders secondary on multiple occasions for big gains. His explosiveness earned him snaps with the second team during mandatory minicamp, reps as a punt and kick returner and rave reviews from his teammates. “He can run all day, he’s fast,” Tucker said. “I’m very excited about him and his willingness to learn, take coaching. He’s going to be a great player.” The speedy receiver isn’t going to make up for the lost output of Meyers, nor is he likely to see the field over Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech or Dont’e Thornton Jr. But his performance showed talent that’s worth developing, and the potential for production down the line.
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