Heading into next Thursday’s NFL Draft, it is a lead-pipe lock that the Las Vegas Raiders will select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The Raiders finished 2025 with a 3-14 record and have missed the playoffs in recent memory.
What Fernando Mendoza Can Bring to the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking for a long-term franchise quarterback. Geno Smith’s tenure did not go as expected, but the Raiders landed the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. It is very, very likely that the Raiders will take Mendoza with that pick.
Per PFSN’s QB Impact metrics, Smith threw 19 touchdowns but had 17 interceptions with a 68.6% impact score. He also ranked 34th in the season’s metrics.
The Indiana quarterback led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season and their first national championship, defeating Miami 27-21. In that game, Mendoza went 16-for-27 for 186 yards. He did not throw a touchdown, but he didn’t throw a pick either, and he had a 117 passer rating, per ESPN.
In his last two CFP games, Mendoza showed that he processes opposing defenses well and has great accuracy. The Raiders need a guy under center who can deliver accurate throws, stand tall in the pocket, and avoid turnovers, something Smith did a lot in 2025.
Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak attended the pro day and met with Mendoza afterward. Mendoza showed everything the Raiders needed at his pro day on April 1. Mendoza was in shotgun for most of his snaps and completed 53 of his 56 passes to his Hoosier teammates.
In an interview with Esquire, Mendoza talked about his developing play. He said, “It’s a battle of discipline. I don’t believe in super balance; that’s just not how I am. I’m very type A. I believe the more inputs, the better the outputs. But you do need some balance.”
He added, “You need to be maybe 80 to 20, the 80 is football, the 20 is connecting with people. I don’t think you should be 50 to 50. But the more you pour into relationships, whether it’s talking to my friends on the phone or hanging out with my roommates, that’s what I love.”
Mendoza continued, “The relationships keep me on the straight path. Great relationships in the past and horrible relationships in the past. I was a bad friend maybe. How can I learn from that? Who are the people I want to surround myself with? In the craziness and the pressure of all of it, knowing that no matter if I throw five touchdowns or don’t play another down of football, these people will be my friends.”
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That mentality is somewhat similar to how Tom Brady used to view the game. He once said, “Football is unconditional love.” And he always spoke highly of the players who managed their responsibilities because, according to him, mentally, they were “the only players who survive in the pros.”
If anything, it looks like Mendoza being selected by the Raiders is a pretty much guaranteed move waiting to happen come the draft. After all, all signs point to the move becoming a reality. If Mendoza can continue living up to his well-earned stock, the future could be bright for the Raiders.
