The Las Vegas Raiders are likely to take Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick once the 2026 NFL Draft starts on April 23. However, there’s one major concern that some have about Mendoza: How he transitioned from the Indiana Hoosiers‘ RPO-style offense to a more traditional NFL-style offense.
Still, Mendoza is tackling those concerns head-on. Even before the Raiders or any team makes a pick, he’s working on adapting to a pro-style offense and refining the skills he knows will be crucial at the next level.
Despite not even being an NFL player, Mendoza is addressing the concern and has begun improving his form under center with the help a former player. During an appearance on the April 20 edition of “Up & Adams,” the 22-year-old shared an update on his progress.
“I think that will be tested when it is in rookie minicamp, to whatever offense I go to, or in OTAs, Mendoza said. “It was very important that I reached out to [former NFL QB] Brian Griese because, although the pro day was great, I wanted that to be for my guys to make sure those guys got as many throws as possible wherever they wanted to showcase, because my goal is to be the best quarterback come September.
“With Brian, I was able to work a lot of under center and a lot of concepts that will be run in every offense, whether it is a West Coast offense or not. So, Day 1, I am comfortable going under center, staying in cadence, calling the play in the huddle and those learning curves that might take the first week or week and a half for rookie quarterbacks, I want to eliminate that so I can be best fitted to the system I am in.”
Fernando Mendoza Gets Honest About Progress
Even though Mendoza is getting ahead and working under center, the signal-caller didn’t hide the constructive criticism of himself, noting that he’s still not where he wants to be.
“I have a lot to improve,” Mendoza added. “… It’s a different game. However, having the under-center work and trying to make the run actions look the same as the pass actions is very important in fooling the defense and for the West Coast offense. So I’m just trying to do the best I can in that sense. It’s going to take a while. I’m very far from a finished product.”
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins Talks Fernando Mendoza
Nonetheless, if the Silver and Black do select Mendoza, everyone knows he’s the future of the franchise. As a result, during an appearance on “Good Morning Football,” new Raiders QB Kirk Cousins spoke about the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and kind of let the cat out of the bag that he and Mendoza will be teammates.
“Honestly, I don’t want to start unless I’m the best option,” Cousins said on the April 8 edition of “Good Morning Football.” “I told Klint the best players should play. As long as that’s the case, I have no qualms with however it plays out. I do think Fernando is going to be a great addition to our team.
“He’s going to have a great future in the league. I have no problem being a voice in the room to help him to the degree that I can. He’s going to have great support all around him from the coaching staff. Being able to watch a veteran quarterback go through his habits, routines, and process can be a great asset for him.”
Fernando Mendoza Shares Big Update on Potential Raiders Concern