Former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had the perfect season while leading the Hoosiers to both the Big Ten and national championships. In many quarters, Mendoza is widely expected to become the No. 1 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 2026 draft class is light on quarterbacks, and with several teams seeking franchise QBs, Mendoza’s services will be at a premium on draft night.
Analyst Sends Fernando Mendoza Message to Raiders
In his latest mock draft, PFSN analyst Ian Cummings selected Mendoza to be the No. 1 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders on draft night, while making a huge claim about the quarterback’s fit at the NFL franchise.
“The Raiders have other needs as well, but when they can get this caliber of QB prospect without giving up additional capital, they need to take advantage of the opportunity. Failing to do so could bring the Raiders back to the QB purgatory they’ve struggled to avoid,” Cummings wrote.
“Mendoza is a gunslinger with a rocket arm and the requisite pocket mobility, who also has high-level pre- and post-snap discernment, poise under pressure, leverage IQ, and accuracy. The Raiders have enough assets to begin building around Mendoza, and ultimately, he’s a culture-setter who’s too dangerous for Las Vegas to pass on.”
The Las Vegas Raiders hired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next coach, just hours after he had won the Super Bowl. Last week, Mendoza revealed that the Hoosiers had incorporated Kubiak’s system into their play-action, praising the new Raiders’ coach’s offensive system.
Tom Brady Makes Mendoza Personality Claim
During an appearance on the “Let’s Go” podcast last week, Raiders part-owner Tom Brady praised Mendoza’s personality and leadership qualities, which set him apart from other quarterbacks.
“What do I really value? When I see him, and he talks about his teammates,” Brady said. “When he wins the Heisman Trophy, and he’s praising everybody else. That’s an endearing quality for a great leader. You know, everybody will be able to throw the ball. Can you run? All that stuff that’s really overhyped and overvalued. What does my expertise show me?
“Well, it shows me that the mental, emotional part is the most sustainable trait throughout. So, if you can find someone that has a mental and emotional baseline, and that ceiling is incredibly high, I think with a work ethic, you can improve a lot of physical skill sets.”
Mendoza earned a PFSN  College QB Impact score of 93.3 after tallying 3,535 passing yards, resulting in 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns for the championship-winning Indiana.
