After a long day of meetings and practice and more meetings, Lee Smith finally would plop down in his hotel room at training camp and open up a bottle of Napa whine.

The Raiders’ tight end is often lined up against All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack in practice, and “I called my wife and complained about it at night,” Smith said, smiling.

“She’s the only one I really let know how bad it is,” he said.

Mack, coming off a 15-sack season, knows only one speed, and he let Smith and the offensive linemen have it at training camp. There are many reasons why the Raiders are confident that they will make the jump from 7-9 to the playoffs, and the 6-foot-3, 260-pound hurricane is the biggest one.

“He’s a frickin’ nightmare,” Smith said. “He can do it all. The minute you try to stop his speed, he’ll put you on your back. The minute you try to stop his power, he’ll run by you …

“I don’t want to make any crazy statements, but I am not sure I’ve played against anyone better.The kid is one of those every-decade kind of guys, and I am sure glad as hell he’s a Raider.”

The Raiders open the regular season in New Orleans on Sunday, and many consider Mack a favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Last season, his 84 pressures (sacks, quarterbacks hits and hurried throws) led the league, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s equally good against the run.

Plus, Mack didn’t really get his footing until the season was half over. Eleven of his 15 sacks came in the final eight games.

Quarterback Derek Carr says, only half-jokingly, that Mack, 25, will get 30 sacks this year.

His speed, power, violent hand use while his feet are pumping and ability to get low are all ... well …

“Freakish,” new outside linebacker Bruce Irvin said.

The Raiders’ offensive linemen love that they don’t have to go against him in games.

At one camp practice, left tackle Donald Penn had good position and still watched Mack get past him for a sack.

Mack “bends, he’s about this far from the ground,” said offensive line coach Mike Tice, reaching down and putting his hand about a foot off the ground. “He just slips under Donald’s hands.”

Tice still shakes his head at the play. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “He is blessed. There are not many like him. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Raiders linebacker Malcolm Smith compared Mack to Chiefs Hall of Fame pass-rusher Derrick Thomas.

“I have never, in person, seen a player as dominant as he is,” Smith said. “He can beat you one-on-one in many different ways, and if you put two guys on him, he often beats them, too.”

Mack doesn’t back down from opponents who hold or grab his facemask, or when an offensive lineman brings a buddy to stop him.

“There are a lot of ways to work through all those different blocks you’re talking about,” Mack said. “Those are the things we’re focusing in on now. We’re getting through them. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

The Raiders signed Irvin from the Seahawks to help pressure the quarterback from the right side and take some attention off Mack.

“We’re looking forward to dominating,” Mack said. “That’s really both of our mind-sets, and that’s one of the things that brought us close real quick.”

Mack doesn’t think teams can keep doubling him with Irvin on the other side.

“You’re going to have to even it up and play man up, one-on-one,” Mack said. “One-on-one across the board or either chip on both sides because he’s a special player. You really didn’t get to see too much of what he can do in Seattle. So just having him going full mode over here is going to benefit us as a defense in a tremendous way.”

Mack said the Raiders’ defense can be as good as that of the Super Bowl champion Broncos.

“I know that’s one of the best defenses in the history of the game, but we can make the quarterback uncomfortable, just like they did,” Mack said. “We have a lot of talent, and a ball-hawking secondary. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we can be that good with hard work and with our own little twists.”

One of the things that teammates love most about Mack is how hard he works. His motor doesn’t stop.

“If Khalil Mack is backside of a running play, he wants to win,” Lee Smith said. “And that’s very, very, very special.”

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur