Training Camp Notebook 8/2: Athleticism in secondary starting to shine through

Aug 02, 2026 at 12:30 PM

Digital Team Reporter

To the delight of Raider Nation, the team gathered together Sunday morning for their first open practice in front of fans this summer.

It was an active day on both sides of the ball as competition, literally and figuratively, heats up. Here are a few notes and observations as the Raiders get closer to putting on the pads.

All-around effort from defense

The defense seemed to be the victors of the day by playing with high energy throughout practice.

On the defensive line, Maxx Crosby continued to showcase his burst off the line of scrimmage while competition in the interior continues. JJ Pegues had a good day of work with two would've been sacks during team period. The second-year nose tackle from Ole Miss is pushing Tonka Hemingway, Jonah Laulu and Adam Butler in the rotation.

In the secondary, it's seemingly a wide-open competition at outside cornerback opposite of Eric Stokes. The likes of Darien Porter, Decamerion Richardson and rookies Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses rotated throughout the practice.

"Really we have a deep room and expect a lot of guys are competing to play," safeties coach Matt Robinson said of the secondary. "And expect a lot of guys to play a lot of snaps for us. So, it's a challenge to work them in, but they'll get their time, especially come game time in the preseason."

Another cornerback that must be mentioned is second-year Greedy Vance, who instinctively jumped a route in 7-on-7s for an interception to the house.

"He read his keys the right way," Robinson said, "was in the right spot, put his foot in the ground and when the quarterback's hand comes off the ball – the rest was his. Throughout camp he's been doing a great job playing both nickel and safety. Excited where he's at."

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Taron Johnson's versatility on display

While still on the topic of the secondary, Taron Johnson's role is evolving within this defense.

After catching the first interception of training camp Friday, the cornerback was seen exclusively working with the safety room during individual drills. As for where he's lined up on the field, the question should really be where isn't he on the field.

I briefly touched on his versatility before, but it's becoming more evident as the team prepares for padded practices. He's embracing the "STAR" role, a multi-faceted role that functions as a nickel cornerback, single-high deep safety or even linebacker depending on the sub package. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has been open about his desire to field a multiple defense, and Johnson is the perfect example of trying to bring it to life.

"He's played a little bit of safety in his career, not much, so getting him as comfortable as possible with that," Robinson said of Johnson. "And just to allow his versatility to show because he has all the mechanics, all the body movements that we like to play closer to the line of scrimmage or back. Just getting him comfortable and then letting his talents shine, because he's a playmaker in the league, has been for a long time, and expect him to [make] plays for us like you guys saw the other day."

Making offensive strides

While the defense put forth a good showing, that didn't stop Kirk Cousins from having some success too.

He had another sharp day of practice with no turnovers. His top targets were tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Jalen Nailor. The quarterback is reuniting with Nailor after being Minnesota Vikings teammates for two seasons.

"Just having that kind of guy in the locker room, it means a lot," Nailor said, "because he's done so much in this league and we can just build upon our team from him. Just going on what he says, he's done this plenty of times, he's a winning quarterback."

Along with Cousins throwing some dimes throughout practice, Aidan O'Connell connected with rookie UDFA E.J. Williams Jr. for a deep touchdown in 7-on-7 period.

.@Raiders HC Klint Kubiak on Fernando Mendoza's development 📈 pic.twitter.com/sCG1yInSDk
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 2, 2026

Former No. 1 pick raves about Mendoza, Raiders coaching staff

NFL Network's Omar Ruiz and David Carr reported live from the Raiders facility Sunday for NFL's Back Together Weekend.

Carr has obvious ties to the Silver and Black through his younger brother, Derek, who is the team's franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns. However, the elder Carr can also relate with Fernando Mendoza as he adjusts to the NFL. Twenty-four years ago, David Carr was in the same shoes as Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans.

"Physically when you see him out here, he looks the part," Carr told Raiders.com. "He's going to have the big arm and obviously has the work ethic, he's the first guy out here in the red shirt trying to get in work. He has the right mindset. ... What I could tell him is just try to gain [experience], even if you throw a pick, come back and hit a completion. You have some negative plays, learn from them."

The former NFL quarterback also has ties to the Raiders head coach and quarterbacks coach. Klint Kubiak's father, Gary, was Carr's head coach in Houston during a 2006 season in which he led the league in completion percentage (68.3). Mike Sullivan was the receivers coach for the New York Giants during Carr's first stint with the team from 2008-2009.

"He's is in the best hands," Carr said of Mendoza having Sullivan in his corner. "Honestly, I believe this is the best coaching staff in the league. If you're talking about just the quarterback from a schematic [standpoint], to [Andrew] Janocko who's calling it, to Sully [Mike Sullivan] who's going to prepare you better than any quarterback coach in the league, he couldn't be in a better situation."

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Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Chase Roberts (86) before practice at 2026 Training Camp at Intermountain Health Performance Center.