The Las Vegas Raiders are in pole position to grab the No. 1 pick. Moreover, at 2-12, it’s probably in their best interest to lose out to secure the top spot to secure the Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, considering one draft expert believes after him there’s a significant drop off.
For the Raiders, they’ll need a new signal-caller since the Geno Smith experiment has been a disaster in only Year 1. Mendoza would bring new hope, but Las Vegas could get in its own way by securing a win in its final three games.
Moreover, if the Silver and Black don’t draft Mendoza in 2026, the drop-off between the Indiana star and the next quarterback is significant that The Ringer’s Todd McShay would advise teams to wait until 2027 to draft a signal-caller.
“I will say this year’s crop doesn’t look great because we got a lot of guys that are deciding to go back to school and we got a handful of guys who quite frankly just didn’t play to the level this year,” McShay said on the December 17 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.” “… We’re left with a class now where Fernando Mendoza looks like potentially the No. 1 overall pick coming off the Heisman after a phenomenal season and showing all the traits teams look for.”
“That leaves two inexperienced but highly talented quarterbacks who could be first-round picks this year [in Dante Moore and Ty Simpson], though they might project even higher a year from now with strong seasons.”
Will Teams Like the Raiders Wait to Draft a QB Until 2027?
Moreover, McShay believes that 2027 might be the draft class in which teams need a long-term fix at quarterback, given the names that could be available.
“Everyone is looking at it and saying, ‘Maybe I buck the trend and go into the NFL as an inexperienced quarterback instead of being part of next year’s group,’ which could include Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin, DJ Lagway via the transfer portal, and others like Sam Leavitt and Jayden Maiava,” McShay added. “There are simply so many quarterbacks lining up for next year that 2027 is shaping up to be one of the best quarterback classes ever.”
What NFL Comp Does Fernando Mendoza get?
Mendoza had a passer rating of 181.4 with 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 13 games this season for the Hoosiers, per StatMuse.
If the Raiders secure the No. 1 overall pick, they could be in a prime position to select Mendoza. Seen as the top quarterback prospect for the 2026 draft class, the Indiana star recently received an NFL comparison from The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen.
“If the Raiders get No. 1, obviously, they have their pick,” Nguyen said on the December 7 edition of the “Just Win Podcast.” “If they get No. 2, then they’re gonna have to possibly bid against another team if they really want the No. 1 pick just to move up one spot. And it seems like a waste of capital, but that’s how business is done. As far as Mendoza, my comp for him is Jared Goff with a little bit more mobility.”
Raiders Draw Blunt NFL Draft Take Amid Fernando Mendoza Link