The Las Vegas Raiders completed their last practice before heading to Allegiant Stadium to show out for fans Tuesday night.
Here are some notes and observations from an active Monday in all three phases.
Big Kirko
Kirk Cousins had his best showing of camp to date.
His first play of the day was a touchdown pass in the red zone to Brock Bowers, threading the needle on an out route with Taron Johnson tightly contesting the pass. Later in practice, the QB threw a laser in the middle of the end zone to Jalen Nailor, placing the ball between two defenders covering him.
Cousins made a variety of difficult throws throughout Monday's practice, with big gains down the field to Tre Tucker and Malik Benson as well.
Cousins also displayed a full throttle "You like that?" holler on the sideline after completing an RPO for a first down. It was truly a trademark Kirko Chainz moment.
Swiss Army knife
Trey Zuhn III is beginning to stick out as an intriguing piece on the offensive line.
While it remains highly competitive in the trenches, the Raiders have taken the rookie and placed him all over the line. On Monday, he was seen taken snaps at center and guard. He's also taken a handful of reps at right tackle throughout camp. It's not anything new for the versatile lineman who played all three spots at Texas A&M.
"Whenever I go in for a series and I'm at certain position, I just have to lock in and be at that position," Zuhn said after practice. "I've learned the playbook from a whole so I know what everybody's doing, I just have to lock into the specific technique and it's becoming easier and easier every single day. Whenever the team calls on me, I'll be ready in that position."
Benson continues to exceed expectations
Alongside Cousins, perhaps the most impressive offensive showing came from rookie receiver Malik Benson, who continues to take camp by storm.
He made two incredible catches, one while leaping into the air and adjusting his body to snap a ball with Darien Porter draped over him.
Benson would've had a deep 60-yard touchdown catch from Fernando Mendoza in team period, but the catch didn't hold up with the refs ruling Mendoza would've sacked before the ball was in the air. However, the first-year duo rebounded when the quarterback hit Benson with a back shoulder fade near the sideline.
"Malik has done a great job," quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan said Saturday. "We're happy he's here. I know Fernando's happy he's here. I think when you have all of the young guys that come together, there's a benefit obviously to that. Just learning the subtle nuances and the body language. If that can help the anticipation, then we're able to get that ball out and have that timing that we talked about, which everybody likes."
Lockdown plays
The defense came away with another turnover as Greedy Vance played blanket coverage on Deven Thompkins and stepped in front of a pass for the interception. It was Vance's second interception this training camp.
Another notable play in the secondary was Porter collecting himself after the incredible Benson catch on him. Two reps later, he played man coverage on Jalen Nailor. Cousins looked for Nailor on a curl route but Porter stood on top of the route and punched the ball out for an incompletion as it hit Nailor's hands. The play served as a slight momentum shift for the defense.
2026 Open Practice
Watch the Silver & Black return to Allegiant Stadium for Open Practice!
Headline returners
While the Raiders try to narrow down their kick and punt returners, two receivers who are seeing more reps are Shedrick Jackson and Dareke Young.
It could've been assumed that Young would get work in the return game after averaging a whopping 32.2 yards per kick return in 2025 with the Seattle Seahawks. As for Jackson, it's bit more surprising. The receiver has no history of returning kicks or punts in high school or college. But, he's a viable option considering he clocked a 4.25 in the 40-yard dash at his Auburn Pro Day back in 2023.
