After posting a league-worst 3-14 record in the regular season, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. With many expecting Las Vegas to select national champion and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the franchise’s former general manager weighed in on what he would do with the top choice.
Former Raiders GM Backs Fernando Mendoza to Las Vegas at No. 1
On Sunday morning, former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco appeared on Peter Schrager’s show, “The Schrager Hour.” During the conversation, Schrager and Telesco discussed Las Vegas’s offseason plans, particularly regarding potential future first overall pick Mendoza.
Schrager first mentioned different possibilities with the No. 1 pick, but ultimately asked, “If you need a quarterback, you take a quarterback, right?”
Moments later, Telesco replied, “If I’m there, you can’t offer me enough. I’m taking Mendoza.”
The former GM noted that “nobody knows” what the future may hold, and that another opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback may not come around anytime soon.
Telesco added, “If you need a QB and there’s a potential franchise QB, you should probably take him. They just don’t come around very often.”
In his final year of college football, Mendoza proved his worth. Across 16 starts at Indiana, the redshirt junior threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns, compared to just six interceptions. He also added 276 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.
Notably, Mendoza posted a 93.2 QB Impact Score, per PFSN metrics, ranking No. 2 among all passers. He also led the Hoosiers’ offense to the top spot in PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact rankings while the program finished with a perfect 16-0 record.
The list of achievements does not end there, as Mendoza earned the 2025 Heisman Trophy, secured a national championship victory, and was named Offensive Player of the Game in the same contest. Simply put, the 22-year-old quarterback is a special talent and a proven winner.
Assuming the Raiders do not unexpectedly move in another direction before the draft, Mendoza would step into an offensive unit desperate for playmakers and, most importantly, a true franchise quarterback.
In 2025, Geno Smith ranked No. 35 among all quarterbacks, according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. The offense as a whole was not much better, finishing No. 31 league-wide in PFSN’s Offense Impact rankings.
While it remains unclear what the surrounding pieces will look like in a Mendoza-led Raiders offense, the franchise and its fan base can take comfort in knowing they likely have their quarterback of the future.
