The Las Vegas Raiders were hoping to turn it around immediately with Tom Brady as the new owner. However, 2025 didn’t go according to plan, and now they are selecting with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With their desperate need for a potential franchise quarterback, all signs point to Fernando Mendoza being their guy. But fans aren’t completely sure, with a good chunk of the fan base going a different route with the pick.
Raiders Fan Base Still Has Questions About Fernando Mendoza
Since 2021, not a single player suiting up under center for the Raiders has ranked inside the top 15 of PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. In that timeframe, they’ve shuffled through a lot of names, but to no avail.
Last season, bringing in Geno Smith was a last-ditch effort that did not work out for them. Now, they’ve traded him to the New York Jets and brought in Kirk Cousins in his place. However, the common expectation is that the four-time Pro Bowler will embrace a mentorship role.
The future of the franchise seems to be tied to the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. But in PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, which lets fans dictate the terms of the draft, Mendoza isn’t the only name drawing attention to the Raiders.
At 66.2%, he far and away leads the pack, but the numbers should have been higher for the player most believe is the answer for Vegas. Instead, a good crop of other prospects has also gotten reasonable love from the fans.
1) Francis Mauigoa (2.4%)
As he is arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft, it is understandable that some fans want their organization to focus on the worst offensive line in the league last season by bringing in a legitimate blue-chipper in Francis Mauigoa.
2) Olaivavega Ioane (2.4%)
A similar story follows with Olaivavega Ioane, who projects as the best guard prospect in the entire class.
He could also help enhance an offensive line that ranked second-to-last on PFSN’s Team OL Impact Metrics.
3) Arvell Reese (2.3%)
With Reese being the best linebacker in this year’s draft class, the expectation from fans could be that Maxx Crosby is getting traded sooner rather than later after the rescinded move by the Baltimore Ravens. As a result, the defense would fall into disarray, and Arvell Reese could be a legitimate building block for them.
4) Spencer Fano (1.8%)
Once again, focusing on the offensive line, it seems like a good chunk of the Raiders fan base is focused on improving that particular facet of their roster rather than a splash for a quarterback.
5) Caleb Downs (1.8%)
The only thing that hurts Caleb Downs is his position, as he’s widely viewed as the top overall prospect in the draft class. However, he still has the potential to be a game-wrecking threat in the secondary, something a lot of fans in Vegas believe trumps their team’s specific needs.
6) Monroe Freeling (1.7%)
The love for offensive linemen isn’t going away anytime soon from the Raiders fan base. After seeing Smith struggle in a mighty way and Ashton Jeanty fail to make the kind of impact many expected in his rookie season, their attention is squarely on improving that area.
7) Carnell Tate (1.7%)
The receiving room is extremely thin for the Raiders. Outside of Brock Bowers, they don’t have a difference-maker, even after adding Jalen Nailor. As a result, some fans want to go against the grain and add more offensive help in the form of Carnell Tate before bringing in a quarterback to take them to the next level.
8) Kayden McDonald (1.7%)
Similar to Reese, the focus on Kayden McDonald, the highest-ranked defensive tackle on PFSN, could be a direct result of the failed Crosby trade.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
With the defense already a question mark, McDonald could give them a true building block for the future.
9) Ty Simpson (1.6%)
For what is arguably the most interesting selection of the bunch, a small minority subscribes to the ideas presented by Dan Orlovsky. Rather than Mendoza, they see Ty Simpson as the better quarterback prospect for the Raiders, but only time will tell the exact direction the organization ends up taking.
