After a disappointing 2025 NFL season in which the Las Vegas Raiders finished with a record of 3-14, the storied franchise has officially locked up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana University likely being the player the team chooses on April 23.
Mendoza had an incredible season with the Hoosiers, leading the program to a 16-0 record while also winning the National Championship against the University of Miami and cementing himself as the best quarterback prospect with the NFL Draft only a few months away.
Fernando Mendoza Reveals if He’ll Participate in NFL Combine
GettyFernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers
All signs point to the Raiders bringing in Mendoza to be their next franchise quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in April, but there’s still a lot of evaluation that has to happen from now until draft day, with the NFL Combine and IU Pro Day set to take place, where the 22-year-old can make an even stronger case to be the top pick.
However, when there are players of Mendoza’s caliber coming out of college into the draft and are already dubbed a clear-cut favorite to be the top pick, there’s no reason for him to go through this process or risk hurting his status as the top prospect.
That said, there have been questions about whether he will participate in the Combine and his school’s Pro Day, which he addressed after winning the Manning Award, via Peegs.com.
“I think that the Combine and IU Pro Day, I just want to first say that the Senior Bowls, the East West Shrine, and the Senior Bowl, I really appreciate them inviting me to participate,” Mendoza said. “And it was a decision that was discussed with advisors, saying, ‘Hey, we were to play a lot of football and just switch to a quick turnaround, especially with the body of the 16 games.’
“But I look forward to attending the Combine and look forward to participating in the IU Pro Day. And I don’t want to give exact specifics or commitments for either, but I look forward to the Combine because I’ve always watched it on TV growing up, being a big NFL network junkie, just sitting on the couch and watching those highlights and watching the reruns of the Combine. The National Championship was, but kind of like a last hurrah with the IU teammates at the IU Pro Day. And it’s going to be great to see him again after what’s going to feel like an eternity. But it’s only a two-month period because I believe the Pro Day is late March, early April.”
Even though Mendoza says he will attend the Combine and Pro Day, he didn’t go into detail about what he plans to do during those events, so it’s safe to assume he’ll be limited and won’t participate fully.
Klint Kubiak Prefers Raiders Over Arizona Cardinals
GettyOffensive coordinator Klint Kubiak of the Seattle Seahawks
Along with Mendoza preparing for all that comes with being the best quarterback prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft, the Raiders still need to hire a new head coach to replace Pete Carroll.
It seems as though it will likely end up being Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who will meet with the team this weekend, with the Raiders expected to offer him the job, as it appears he favors the job in Las Vegas over the other head coaching vacancy with the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“My sense in league circles talking to people say that he [Kubiak] would prefer the Raiders job over the Cardinals if he does go that route,” Fowler said.
So it may only be a matter of time before Mendoza is the new starting quarterback and Kubiak is the new head coach of the Raiders, both of which would be steps in the right direction for the struggling NFL franchise in Las Vegas.
Raiders Target Fernando Mendoza Makes Decision on Combine After Skipping Senior Bowl