Fernando Mendoza isn't only Raiders rookie to watch in training camp

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — As the Raiders prepare for their season, the vast majority of media and fan focus remains on quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

While Mendoza has put together stretches in training camp that showed why Las Vegas took him first in the NFL draft, he isn't the only rookie of note.

Other first-year pros are showing they could make significant contributions to a franchise that is looking for a spark after winning seven games over the past two seasons.

“That's part of the plan that coach (Klint Kubiak) put in place,” assistant head coach Mike McCoy said. “As you see, everybody's getting reps right now through the first two weeks of practice that we're getting into and just give everyone an opportunity to show what they can do.”

Here are four rookies worth monitoring:

Sixth-round draft picks often aren't guaranteed to make an NFL roster, much less earn a significant role.

Benson, who also is getting work as a punt returner, regularly plays with the first- and second-team offenses, and he has developed a rapport with Mendoza. The two connect multiple times a day.

He also has worked well with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“I’m pleased with his improvement, his progress,” wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said. “Long way to go. He’s still a rookie, makes those rookie mistakes. But I’m pleased with his effort, his attitude. He’s extremely coachable. He’s tough. You do that, you got a chance. And he’s improving every day, which is what I want to see.”

Taken in the fourth round, Washington was expected to be someone who could spell starter Ashton Jeanty, the sixth overall pick in 2025.

He might be able to do more than that, and he's getting reps with the first-team offense.

Jeanty will receive the majority of carries, but Washington is showing there might not be much of a drop-off when he gets his turn. Both backs also are receiving quite a bit of work in the passing game.

“Mike’s been great,” running backs coach Omar Young said. “He really worked his butt off during the offseason, and you could really tell and see that. It’s a great deal for him to just be able to come out here every single day and put forth and show the work that he put on in the offseason and let it come (to) fruition.”

The fifth-round pick has been practicing with the starters opposite veteran Eric Stokes.

Masses made a tremendous breakup of a deep pass to Benson during Thursday's practice. If he can play like that once the season begins, he could ease concerns about the Raiders' secondary.

“Zeke came in making plays,” safety Jeremy Chinn said. “Even in OTAs, just seeing him step up. I feel like he just had an understanding. Even just technique-wise, he’s true to his technique. He’s always been true to his technique ever since he stepped in here, and it hasn’t been a drop-off, so it’s cool to see.”

He is difficult to gauge because it's unclear whether McCoy can play like the first-round talent he possessed before a torn ACL caused his draft stock to plummet.

The Raiders traded up to take McCoy with the first selection in the fourth round, and they have been cautious with his development. McCoy has played with the second and third teams and took Thursday off as a pre-planned maintenance day.

“We’ll keep monitoring his mileage, and just see how he comes in and recovers the next day,” Kubiak said. “But to see him out there getting as much work as he’s getting, has been excellent.”

Jackson Powers-Johnson has been practicing with the first team at right guard, but he shared those snaps with Caleb Rogers on Thursday.

The other four line positions have remained steady during camp.

Tight end Michael Mayer (nose) returned to practice after getting injured Monday and sitting out Tuesday. There was no practice Wednesday.

Keyron Crawford left the field after colliding with fellow defensive end Malcolm Koonce.

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Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses catches a ball during practice at the team's NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. participates during practice at the team's NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Malik Benson catches during practice at the team's NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico court has ordered Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms in the second phase of a landmark trial the social media giant lost in March.

In a late Thursday ruling, Judge Bryan Biedcheid said the bulk of the money — $420 million — will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go toward awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years.

In the first phase, jurors had ordered $375 million in civil penalties against Meta, determining that it knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

In the second phase, prosecutors had asked the judge to impose fundamental changes at Meta aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight.

The decision means the look of Meta’s platforms could change. The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens to clearly explain its protection features, best practices, tools to address inappropriate comment, for example, and display them regularly. Those changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico would be subject to review by the state.

The Associated Press emailed and called the New Mexico Department of Justice for comment Thursday also emailed Meta, based in Menlo Park, California, for its response to the ruling.

The court said federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Act, or COPPA, means it cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.

The court also noted that ordering Meta to verify children’s ages for only Meta and not other social media companies would be “inequitable and unduly injurious” to the company.

Instead, the court ordered Meta to continue to improve its age assurance tools in New Mexico, which include using artificial intelligence to determine people’s age based on signals such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also attempt to develop a dedicated “under-13-years-of-age prediction model” in the next two years.

Additionally, Meta should also request proof of age for Instagram and Facebook users in New Mexico it estimates to be under 13. If it determines a user to be under 13, or under 18 but without being able to estimate a specific age, Meta must treat the user as under 13 or under 18 until the user verifies their age.

The company must also partner with schools or a child safety organization to create a reporting portal where school staff can flag users who may be under 13. And it must delete personal information it has collected on users under 13.

The court ordered Meta to report on its progress twice a year on how it’s complying with the abatement measures.

FILE - A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)