The NFL debut of Fernando Mendoza is just hours away.
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion from Indiana, will play for the Las Vegas Raiders tonight in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals at 5 p.m.
While Kirk Cousins is expected to get the start along with the first-team offense, coach Klint Kubiak said Mendoza will see plenty of action in what will also be Kubiak’s debut as a head coach.
Here are five things to watch in the game that airs on KVVU-TV (5) and NFL Network in Las Vegas and streams at Raiders.com:
Mendoza’s debut
It has been a whirlwind several months for Mendoza from winning the Heisman to the national championship and a draft process that saw him go No. 1 to the Raiders and then OTAs and minicamp.
He has been lauded for his work ethic and preparation from the moment he entered the Raiders facility and now fans will get their first look at him against another opponent.
“He’s going to get plenty of experience in the game,” Kubiak said. “Looking forward to seeing him out there with his with his teammates. A lot of guys that we need to evaluate, but he’ll get plenty of reps.
“I just see he’s continuing to grow. It’s been a really impressive training camp as far as how he’s prepared, and then he goes out there to practice, and things don’t happen on the drawing board, on the paper, and the playbook exactly how they do on the field, so I think he’s done a good job of adjusting. And with all of our players, we just ask that as they gain experience and they make mistakes, they don’t make the same mistake twice. I think that he’s done a good job of that, and now it comes to live bullets with a live pass rush, and that’ll be a whole other animal.”
Position battles
There are several starting spots that appear to be fully up for grabs after a couple weeks of training camp.
The preseason games could provide a glimpse at where those battles stand and provide an opportunity for those in the competition to make a statement.
Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers have both seen first-team reps at right guard recently. Rookie Hezekiah Masses has been making a push to overtake Darien Porter at outside cornerback opposite Eric Stokes.
And Matt Gay appears to be in the lead for placekicking duties in a competition with rookie Kansei Matsuzawa.
Making the cut
While those position battles at the top of the depth chart are in the spotlight, the competition at the bottom of the roster is even more fierce.
Preseason games offer the opportunity for players on the fringe to make their case to be on the team or even to show other teams around the league they deserve a chance if they don’t get it with the Raiders.
While there may be a tendency to change the channel or end the stream when Mendoza and the other top players are out of the game, the second half is when the competition really gets turned up.
Some players who have been able to have an impact on the practice field include wide receivers Deven Thompkins, Chase Roberts and Brandon Johnson, running back Roman Hemby, edge Cian Slone and linebackers Cameron McGrone and Xavian Sorey Jr.
It’s not just about offense and defense, either.
“I think it’s really important that our guys have the same attitude we’ve asked them to have all camp – have a team-first attitude and have shocking effort,” Kubiak said. “That’s what we’re looking for, looking for competitive guys. And one thing that we’ve really stressed is, especially for our young guys, of using special teams as their avenue to make the team. So, we’re going to be evaluating those reps very critically.”
Rookie defensive backs
There is a great deal of excitement about the future of the secondary for the Raiders and it will be on full display.
Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson are close friends who were drafted together out of Arizona and hope to have a lasting impact together with the Raiders.
This will be their first chance to make that mark.
Masses is pushing for a starting role and Jermod McCoy could end up being the steal of the draft.
The cornerback was likely a top-five talent who fell to the Raiders in the fourth round due to injury concerns, but he has mostly been a full participant in training camp.
Tonight will mark his first game action since December 2024 for Tennessee in the College Football Playoff against Ohio State.
He said he expects to feel emotional, but is ready to play football again.
Rob Leonard’s defense
This will be the first chance for fans to see a glimpse of new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard’s scheme.
While there likely won’t be a full game plan or unveiling of all the exotic blitz packages, the general outline will be there.
Leonard, who has been on staff as the defensive line coach, is expected to unleash an aggressive scheme with multiple looks and an ability to put players in different positions around the defense.
This will be a sneak preview of what’s to come.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
