With Fernando Mendoza deciding to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft after winning the National Championship, the Las Vegas Raiders can’t start really scouting the young quarterback. He’s widely expected to be the team’s choice at No. 1.
He’s done his best to avoid the Raiders topic so far, but that’s proven difficult now that the college football season is over. Mendoza has been doing the media rounds after winning the National Championship, and he was asked directly about the Raiders. He shared his early thoughts on the organization.
“The Raiders have a great culture, have a great coaching staff, great ownership group,” Mendoza said on “The Today Show.” “It’s all around. Those are legit guys. I’d be happy to end anywhere.”
While Mendoza to the Raiders is likely, it’s not a done deal until the team turns in their draft card. He can’t hedge all of his bets on Las Vegas. That said, he’s the only quarterback in the class who has a first-round grade, and the Raiders have a huge need at the position. He would have to have a rough pre-draft process for Las Vegas not to want to draft him.
“The Raiders have a great culture, have a great coaching staff, great ownership group. It’s all around. Those are legit guys. I’d be happy to end anywhere.”
Playing in NFL ‘Dream Come True’ for Mendoza
Mendoza didn’t always think he would be playing in the NFL. He was a two-star recruit coming out of high school and wasn’t considered one of the top quarterbacks in the country when he transferred to Indiana before last season.
It has been a meteoric rise for the young quarterback, as he led Indiana to one of the best seasons in college football history while also winning the Heisman Trophy. Many don’t consider him a generational quarterback prospect like Andrew Luck or Caleb Williams, but he’s got all the tools to have a very successful NFL career.
He’s just happy to get a chance to play in the pros.
“It would be a dream come true,” Mendoza said when asked about playing in the NFL on “Good Morning America.”
Raiders Need to Set up Mendoza for Success
Mendoza has a lot of potential to be a star quarterback at the NFL level, but he doesn’t have the skills to elevate a team with lackluster talent to the playoffs. The Raiders do have some pieces that will make life easier. Brock Bowers might be the best tight end in the NFL, and running back Ashton Jeanty has superstar potential.
Outside of those two pieces, it’s hard to get excited about what the Raiders have on offense. Left tackle Kolton Miller is solid, but he’s been banged up the last couple of seasons. Jackson Powers-Johnson has a ton of potential, but he can’t stay healthy.
The Raiders have a very weak wide receiver room that will need to be addressed. If the Raiders can add a couple of pieces on the offensive line and a No. 1 wide receiver, the offense could be much better than expected.
The team just needs to make sure that Mendoza is set up for success. He can be a franchise quarterback, but it’s going to be hard for that to happen if he’s getting hit on every play.
Fernando Mendoza Delivers Strong Message to Raiders Ahead of NFL Draft