Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak is getting ready to debut his offense in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. After officially naming Kirk Cousins the starting quarterback, the offense is beginning to take shape. While Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty will undeniably be the focal points, rookie wide receiver Malik Benson may carve out a specialized role.
The Raiders drafted Benson in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL draft, at No. 195 overall. Benson had quite the college football journey. He began his career at Hutchinson Community College before stints at Alabama and Florida State.
Benson finally broke out at Oregon this past season, registering a team-high 719 yards while averaging an explosive 16.7 yards per catch. He then went to the NFL
Combine and ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash.
Benson made some plays for the Raiders throughout the preseason. The rookie wideout hauled in three receptions for 44 yards, averaging nearly 15 yards per catch. He was unfortunately credited with one drop.
The Raiders have question marks at wide receiver. Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor are the starting wideouts. Benson will try competing with the likes of Jack Bech for reps.
Coach Kubiak understands how to maximize talent. In Seattle as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator last year, he got a lot out of weapons like Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton, even though they played behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Benson could end up having an explosive role for an underrated Raiders offense.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Can Raiders WR Malik Benson play a take-the-top-off role as a rookie?
