3 Big Clues About the Raiders’ Plan (Cousins, Tre & the Defense)

WHY MENDOZA IS ACTUALLY QB1

Why exactly is Fernando Mendoza QB1 in this draft class? We dive deep into it in our latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast with Ted Nguyen (The Athletic/Just Win Podcast), breaking down why he has all the tools to succeed in the NFL — and why he might need more time to get there than many are willing to admit. From the challenges of evaluating his RPO-heavy offense at Indiana to the traits, processing, and high-leverage moments that separate him, we walk through what his tape actually shows (and what it doesn’t). If you want a clear picture of why Mendoza is actually worth drafting No. 1 overall — and what his development path could realistically look like in Las Vegas — this is a must-watch.

KIRKO CHAINZ COMIN’ TO MENTOR MENDOZA

Kirk Cousins is coming to the Raiders, and if you’re a fan of the Silver and Black, you’ve got to love this move.

Here’s why.

For starters, who better to help bring Fernando Mendoza along than Cousins? They basically play the game the same way — high-level processors, pinpoint accuracy, and good (but not elite) arm talent. It’s a natural fit stylistically, which makes the mentorship piece even more valuable.

On top of that, Cousins spent three seasons with Klint Kubiak in Minnesota (some of the best years of his career), so he already knows exactly what Kubiak wants out of his quarterback and has a great handle on a scheme that will look similar to what the Raiders will run. There’s a smaller learning curve there, which means he can walk in and help set the tone for Mendoza and the rest of the offense right away.

And maybe most importantly, Cousins chose this role. This isn’t like what happened in Atlanta when he got blindsided by the Michael Penix Jr. pick. He knows exactly what he’s walking into here, and it’s clear he’s ready to help bring Mendoza along.

Then there’s the contract.

You’re going to hear some big numbers floating around, but from the Raiders’ perspective, this is essentially a one-year, $11.3 million deal — and they’re only paying him $1.3 million this season. That’s a good veteran bridge quarterback at the league minimum. Really solid work by Spytek and company — and shoutout to Atlanta for taking on part of that load, too.

And yes, it likely means Mendoza won’t start right away — at least barring injury or an unreal showing in camp.

But honestly, that’s a good thing.

I was in favor of throwing him out there early, but this is probably the best situation for his long-term development. It takes the pressure off and allows him to learn, grow, and step in when both he — and the team — are ready.

Because let’s be honest, they think the offense — especially the offensive line — will be better. But they don’t know that for sure yet. This gives them time to figure out what they actually have with Kubiak and his staff in place.

If everything clicks and Mendoza is ready to roll, great.

If not, Kirk is the one taking those hits instead of your rookie franchise quarterback — and Mendoza gets to learn from it before being thrown into the fire.

Zooming out, this is another smart move by the front office. They’re doing all the right things this offseason, and if you’re a Raiders fan, you’ve got to feel really good about how they’ve approached this rebuild so far.

And it’s clear Cousins is at a different point in his career and ready to embrace that mentorship role. Don’t believe me? Just listen to what he told Kevin Clark below about developing young quarterbacks in the NFL.

FORGOT ABOUT TRE

We can’t forget about Tre. As you can see above, Klint Kubiak clearly isn’t overlooking him. In that quote, he brought Tre up unprompted, which says a lot about the impression he’s already made.

And I can see why he likes him.

Tre impressed me a lot in training camp last year and looked like he was headed for a breakout. Obviously, the offense ran into a brick wall, but he still posted the best season of his career, catching 57 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns.

He’s an interesting piece in Kubiak’s offense. For starters, Tre was the fastest player in the NFL in 2024, posting the highest rate of plays reaching 15 MPH, per Next Gen Stats. He also averaged 3.6 yards of separation last season, which was tied for the eighth-best among all wide receivers. According to PFF, his average depth of target was 10.7 yards — for reference, Rashid Shaheed’s was 11.4.

You can see where I’m going with this.

Tre should be able to carve out a really nice role in this offense, likely something similar to Shaheed — meaning he’ll operate as the primary deep threat. And it’s clear Kubiak already likes what he’s working with, so don’t forget about Tre.

That said, when you look at the Raiders’ receiver room, they’ve got plenty of speed with Tre, Jalen Nailor, and Dont’e Thornton Jr. Jack Bech is more of your dirty-work type of receiver, so what they’re missing is a true ball-winning X.

When asked about that, Kubiak had this to say:

It’s worth noting the Raiders met with Washington receiver Denzel Boston, who stands 6-foot-4, 212 pounds. His 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons tell you everything you need to know about the kind of mismatch he can be, especially in the red zone.

He’s projected as a late first-round pick, but from time to time he’s been there at No. 36 in some of the mock drafts I’ve run. If he’s there, don’t be surprised if the Raiders sprint that card in.

That said, this draft is pretty deep when it comes to big, ball-winning X receivers. They could also look at guys like Ted Hurst, Reggie Vigil, or Ja’Kobi Lane in the later rounds to fill that need — but one way or another, I’d expect them to address it at some point in the draft.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

BREAKING DOWN MENDOZA’S PRO DAY

Want the full, throw-by-throw breakdown of Fernando Mendoza’s Pro Day? I’ve got you covered in the latest episode of the podcast. We went live during the workout and broke down every rep — what stood out, what didn’t, and what’s next for him.

TL;DR — Mendoza’s Pro Day Takeaways:

• Showed off his accuracy
• Footwork looked clean operating from under center
• Looked comfortable on play-action boots with good ball placement
• Let it rip a few times and showed off the arm strength

Want to know which Indiana receiver might make the most sense for the Raiders — and which one Mendoza showed the most natural chemistry and timing with throughout the workout?

Listen to the full podcast and I’ll answer that very question.

KLINT CLARIFIES THE DEFENSE

We’ve hit on the Raiders’ defense a ton in recent weeks, so we won’t beat a dead horse here, but it’s worth noting that Klint Kubiak clarified a few things at the annual league meeting this week.

In the clip above, he made it clear that even though they’ll run a 3-4 base defense, they’re still going to be in a lot of four- and five-man fronts. He specifically mentioned 4-2 under looks as well.

Long story short, we’re likely going to see three-man fronts well under 30% of the time and instead get a steady diet of four- and five-man looks (under, over, bear). That tracks with what we dove into with Cody Alexander last week and further reinforces that the “need” for a true nose tackle isn’t as big as many — myself included at times — have made it out to be.

They’ll likely come out of the draft with a true 0/1-technique, but given that most of those guys don’t offer much pass-rush upside, it’s hard to see them investing a premium pick there. It’s tough to imagine them using something like the No. 36 overall pick on a true nose tackle when that role is only on the field about 30% of the time, at most (league average for base defense usage).

If they go defensive line early in the second round, they’ll likely lean toward a more versatile option like Georgia’s Christen Miller — someone who’s lined up all over the front and brings real pass-rush upside.

As for a more traditional nose tackle, that’s probably a Day 3 play. They’ve got three fourth-round picks, so maybe that’s where a guy like Dontay Corleone out of Cincinnati comes into play as their potential answer at nose.

And don’t forget, they already have JJ Pegues, who played over 40% of his college snaps at 0/1-tech, so there’s already a depth piece on the roster who can handle that role.

All that said, as Cody mentioned on the podcast, if they do address nose tackle earlier than expected, it likely signals they plan to be in base defense more often than we think.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day.

This week, we’re featuring a shot Arnie snagged of Tre Tucker during training camp last year. As we mentioned above Klint really likes Tre, and he looked like he was going to turn the corner last season before the team as a whole went south. We’ll see if Klint can get him rolling at a more consisten pace, and if he does, watch out. As you guys know, speed kills, and he’s got plenty of it.

Check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Easter weekend! I hope you guys have a great weekend with your friends and family. We’ll catch you next on the pod on Tuesday. Take care!

Catch ya next time,