Saturday is one of the most anticipated days of the NFL offseason. The quarterbacks, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernado Mendoza, will measure in, and some of them will hit the field for drills.
Although Mandoza seems like a lock to be the top pick, there was still significant anticipation about his measurables.
Fernando Mendoza Draws Matt Ryan Comparison After NFL Combine Measurements
According to the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Mendoza came in with the following measurements:
- Height: 6’4½”
- Weight: 236 pounds
- Hand Size: 9½ inches
- Arm Length: 31⅞ inches
- Wingspan: 76¾ inches
Obviously, this is what you like to see in a franchise quarterback, and that leads to the next question – who does he compare to?
Jeremiah has a specific player in mind.
Fernando Mendoza
6046
236
9 1/2 handMatt Ryan
6046
228
9 1/2 hand— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 28, 2026
Ryan obviously had a lot of success. He was the third-overall pick in the 2008 Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he remained until joining the Colts for the 2022 season, his last in the NFL (he is now back in Atlanta as their President). He was the Rookie of the Year in 2008, the Offensive Player of the Year and league MVP in 2016, and made the Pro Bowl four times. In 2016, he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl, where they famously blew a 28-3 lead against the Patriots.
In other words, that isn’t bad company for Mendoza. Ryan, however, isn’t the only former Pro Bowler he compares to. Former Bengals, Raiders, and Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer also had similar measurements:
- 6’5″
- 232
- 9 3/8″
PFSN’s Ian Cummings sees a lot of Palmer in Mendoza.
“Fernando Mendoza has the frame, arm talent, gunslinger mentality, straight-line athleticism, and poise under pressure of a young Carson Palmer,” writes Cummings. “He has enough athleticism to create in spurts, but he wins first with timely, anticipatory darts from the pocket after discerning defender leverage and identifying opportunities in short order.”
That’s good company once again. Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy Winner at USC, managed to make three Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro in 2015 despite an injury-riddled career.
Fernando Mendoza Scouting Report
Here is Mendoza’s scouting report from PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, which also compares Mendoza to Palmer:
“Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to be the first overall pick, after a 2025 season that saw him win the Heisman Trophy and lead his Indiana Hoosiers to a Big Ten title and National Championship.
“At 6’5”, 225 pounds, Mendoza has the ideal prototypical frame, along with quick feet, nimble pocket mobility, and understated creation capacity and off-script feel. He’s a crisp rotational thrower who always gives his WR a chance, and also flashes high-end situational precision and layering ability.
“Beyond that, he has the rifle arm strength, pre-snap and post-snap recognition, and keen anticipation to make NFL-level throws both up the seams and outside the hashes. There’s a degree of arm arrogance in Mendoza’s game that he’ll have to tamp down, but that’s a byproduct of him seeing those miniscule windows and having the fearlessness to take chances.
“He’s a pocket passer first; while he’s a great linear athlete, his hip stiffness limits his appeal operating off-platform and sources mechanical instability on the move. However, in the pocket, he’s a gunslinger with a perfectly calibrated risk propensity pallet and a penchant for delivering in key moments, who resembles a young, peak Carson Palmer. He’s a clear franchise QB candidate, who can elevate an organization toward Super Bowl contention.”
The Raiders are expected to officially make Mendoza the top pick when the draft gets underway on Thursday, April 23.
