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Raiders Mailbag: How quickly will rookies adapt to Kubiak's offense?

May 27, 2026 at 02:36 PM

Digital Team Reporter

Julian Campista from California asks:

"When do you think we should expect Fernando Mendoza to be used to the new system?"

Klint Kubiak's offensive scheme isn't an easy one to pick up, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

It's going to take awhile for everyone to get on the same page, not just Fernando Mendoza. However there's certainly a spotlight on Mendoza compared to his other teammates. With high expectations for the No. 1 pick, he's trying soak in as much as he can to make a quick adjustment. In rookie minicamp, Mendoza said he spent most of his time so far trying to learn the terminology and watching film of Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold or teammate Kirk Cousins running the offense.

"As a rookie, you just try to learn the most as possible," Mendoza said. "So, right now, there's a lot of information. It's coming like a fire hose, but at that time, I'm just trying to take it all in to get better every single day."

According to his coaches and teammates alike, Mendoza has been cerebral in his learning.

"[H]e's always wired, taking notes," Kolton Miller said, "and then just seeing him on the field, it's new to him, but he's handling it great."

"He's somebody that wants to know the whys of everything, the story behind everything," offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko said. "What we're calling, but why are we calling it? He's really just a sponge that wants to know everything. So it's a lot of fun working with a quarterback like that because he's coming in as a blank slate in this offense - never been in this offense before - and just asking a ton of questions."

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Anthony Robbins from Nevada asks:

"Do you think they'll go after a big name receiver to go along with the receivers that we currently have?"

A blockbuster addition is always possible, but the Raiders' optimism about their in‑house talent suggests that their next playmaker might already be wearing Silver and Black.

The receiving corps has been under a great deal of reconstruction over the last two seasons, trading away the likes of Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. The unit is now led by Tre Tucker, who is going into his fourth season after leading the Silver ands Black in targets (92) and receiving yards (696) in 2025.

Coach Kubiak has mentioned Tucker often throughout the offseason, so it seems there is a strong confidence in his abilities and skillset.

"He can run all day," Kubiak said. "He's a quiet leader, a guy that we're going to put in a leadership role. He's got to be a playmaker for us, and he has been. And now let's go see what else we can get out of him."

The Silver and Black will also continue developing two receivers they drafted last year in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr. While the duo combined for 30 receptions and 359 receiving yards as rookies, they showcased all the tools to make the coaching staff and front office believe they can take a leap in Year 2.

"We're counting on them. We're counting on them to produce for us," Kubiak said of the duo. "The good thing is there's competition with Bech and with DT [Dont'e Thornton Jr.]. There's a lot of competition in that receiver room, and may the best man win."

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Las Vegas Raiders guard Trey Zuhn III (66) at an Organized Team Activity (OTA) at Intermountain Health Performance Center.