Fernando Mendoza is the heavy favorite to be selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft. As the Indiana quarterback waits to hear his name selected on Draft day, he is focusing only on the things that are in his control.
Fernando Mendoza Focusing on Being the Best QB He Can Be
It’s impossible to ignore the noise of what appears to be a forgone conclusion that Mendoza will be selected with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But right now, the quarterback is focused on doing whatever he can to improve and make himself the best version of himself that he can be, as he gears up for his rookie season.
“I’m very process based, which means I really like to make systems,” Mendoza told Esquire. “I set a goal and I kind of work backwards to it. So I say, ‘Hey, what do I got to get better at to be the best quarterback in September? I gotta work this, this, this.’ And then for each one, I’ll put a system in place.”
The mental side of the game is what makes the quarterback position so much different than other positions in football. Going through the processes and focusing on what it will take, mentally and physically, to be great at the next level is certainly a smart way to approach entering the NFL.
The Heisman Trophy winner ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in PFSN’s College Quarterback Impact Metric (QBi) in 2025, en route to leading his team to a victory in the National Championship. As a Junior, Mendoza completed 72.0 % of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, while adding 276 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground as a rusher.
The 22-year-old quarterback is a pure pocket passer but can move around a bit, as most modern quarterbacks do. He is set to team up with new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, who helped Sam Darnold establish himself as a legitimate starting quarterback and led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win.
“I always try to have a hunter mindset instead of the hunted mindset,” Mendoza added. “So right now I try to compare myself to one out of thirty-two potential starting NFL quarterbacks and I’m not even drafted by a team, and I don’t have a starting position. But you want to stay hungry.”
Kubiak and the Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, and he is expected to open the season as the starting quarterback. Cousins played under Kubiak in Minnesota, so he should be familiar with many of the concepts he employs. Meanwhile, Mendoza will have a veteran presence to sit and learn from as a rookie before eventually taking over as the long-term starter.
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Mendoza and Cousins have very similar quarterback styles, which is likely a major reason they signed him, in addition to his familiarity with Kubiak.
The potential first overall pick figures to be one of the most anticipated debuts in 2026, and he continues to work hard and gear himself up for whatever it takes to be the best quarterback he can be at the NFL level, as he awaits draft day.
