The Las Vegas Raiders grabbed who those running the organization hope will prove to be a long-term franchise quarterback when they made Indiana Hoosiers star Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
For a piece published on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke with a coach who had faced Mendoza in the ACC while the signal-caller played for Cal. That coach suggested that Mendoza won’t become an elite quarterback at the highest level.
Fernando Mendoza was made to look good by Indiana receivers?
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach said about Mendoza. “They’re all back-shoulder [throws]. That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”
Before the Raiders officially drafted Mendoza, unnamed coaches and other “NFL people” said that the promising prospect lacks “elite” quarterback traits and doesn’t possess “generational talents” often seen from signal-callers selected with first overall picks. That said, a Power 4 defensive coordinator who spoke with ESPN noted he was impressed with how Mendoza came “up big” on massive stages like this year’s national title game, which Indiana won.
“You can’t teach that,” the coordinator said about Mendoza, “and he has it.”
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“A Big Ten coach who has spent most of his career in the league said Mendoza is one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has seen,” Rittenberg added. “The coach pointed to Mendoza’s scarcity of turnovers or ill-advised throws, and his mix of intelligence, size and movement.”
Those running the Raiders want it known that they plan to have Mendoza spend at least a decent portion of his rookie season serving as a backup for veteran Kirk Cousins. However, Mendoza could be a play away from taking significant regular-season snaps if he enters the campaign as Las Vegas’ QB2.
Raiders minority owner Tom Brady hasn’t hidden that he thinks quarterbacks should sit as rookies. Assuming Brady has power regarding certain roster decisions, he may request that Mendoza begin September as the club’s third-choice option at the position.