All signs point to the Las Vegas Raiders selecting former Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, until the pick is in, there will be room for speculation whether the Silver and Black should listen to offers.
Still, if Las Vegas does pick Mendoza, they would have their potential franchise signal-caller for the foreseeable future. Amid the Raiders likely taking Mendoza, several Raider greats from the past are being asked about the Hoosiers standout.
The latest former Raiders player to talk about Mendoza is Reggie Kinlaw.
“[Mendoza] is a smart kid,” Kinlaw told Vegas Sports Today in a video posted on Jan. 31. “I like the way he carries himself. He’s not cocky [and] he’s not one of those bougie looking guys or whatever. I know he reads defense pretty good. That’s the college level. You’re going to have to change that up when you get to the pros.
“He’s a little mobile. He’s 6-foot-5, so his running style kind of like a giraffe or something like that. But hey, as long as he can get you five yards. He loves the game. You can tell this kid loves the game. I think he’s one of those guys who watch film a lot, and he’s coachable.”
Should the Raiders Consider Trading the No. 1 Pick?
Meanwhile, former Raiders star Marcus Allen believes the team needs to vastly improve the trenches on the offensive and defensive line, which is why he would urge Las Vegas to consider trading the top pick for more assets.
“If I was a GM, I would go [trading the No. 1 pick] direction,” Allen said during a Jan. 28 appearance on “Golic & Golic.” “Again, getting a quarterback, and if you can’t protect him, that’ll be a disaster for him, and who knows if that will be mentally detrimental to him going forward. You just don’t know how people are going to respond and stuff.”
Las Vegas Does Need Help In the Trenches
Moreover, Allen cites his experience from his playing days in emphasizing the importance of an offensive line.
“If you’re really good at the line of scrimmage, and I’m not going to ever back down from this. Yes, I gained 2,000 yards in college and stuff, but I had guys up front that made it happen. Yes. And after maybe breaking the line of scrimmage, the rest was up to me. But those guys are the guys that make things happen. You can ask every great running back, you can ask every great quarterback that has played the game.
“Pass protection, not have to worry about the blind side, not have to worry about guys in your face, is something that is such a luxury, right? And not everyone has it and stuff, but if you look at the lines that are actually playing now in the Super Bowl, very good lines. They can run the ball, they can pass, block, and the quarterbacks have time to throw the ball, but if you don’t, oh man, all hell breaks, folks.”
Raiders Great Reggie Kinlaw Doesn’t Hold Back on Fernando Mendoza