The Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback decision in the 2026 NFL Draft is quickly becoming less about pure talent and more about philosophical fit. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza enters the process with the stronger résumé, more national buzz, and the kind of college production that usually makes a player a clear-cut favorite.
But that has not stopped analysts from questioning whether his transition to the NFL would be as seamless as many assume. For some evaluators, the bigger issue is not whether Mendoza can play — it is whether he is walking into the right system. That is where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has suddenly entered the conversation.
Dan Orlovsky Believes Ty Simpson Fits Klint Kubiak’s Raiders Offense Better
Speaking about the Raiders’ offensive structure and what it asks from the QB position during his latest appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Dan Orlovsky argued that Simpson may actually be the cleaner schematic match for Las Vegas than Mendoza.
His reasoning centered on how Klint Kubiak has consistently built his offense around under-center mechanics and timing-based structure.
“If we’re being honest and people won’t say it, I will. Ty Simpson, schematically, is a better fit or marriage for what the Las Vegas Raiders would do under Klint Kubiak than Fernando Mendoza,” Orlovsky said. “Klint Kubiak is a coach, and he’s not going to change. This is how he was brought up in football. Most of the things that he does, at least half of the things that he does from a scheme standpoint, are underneath the center.”
Orlovsky expanded on that point by highlighting just how dramatic the adjustment could be for Mendoza, whose college background gave him almost no real exposure to that style of operation.
“If you look at it, since he’s become an offensive coordinator in the NFL, over 50% of the snaps are from underneath the center,” Orlovsky added. “That’s the most in the last five-plus years in the NFL. Fernando Mendoza took 5 snaps total from underneath the center in his college career. So, this is going to be a drastically different experience for Mendoza when it comes to operating the QB position.”
Even with those concerns, Mendoza’s overall profile remains difficult to ignore. He completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions last season, while finishing second, with an impact score of 93.3 in PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric.
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However, Orlovsky then made it clear that this would not be a quick fix if Mendoza were selected by Las Vegas.
“And America, Kubiak’s not changing,” Orlovsky continued. “He’s not going to completely try to change the way he goes about offense. So I think that’s going to take much more time for Mendoza to get comfortable playing than people expect… It’s just going to take Mendoza realistically like two or three years for him to get comfortable doing it that way.”
“Ty Simpson, schematically, is a better fit or marriage for what the Las Vegas Raiders would do under Klint Kubiak than Fernando Mendoza.”
—@danorlovsky7 on who’s a better pick for the Raiders ✍️ pic.twitter.com/oNRiknl6n0
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 6, 2026
Simpson, meanwhile, offers less polish in terms of total body of work but more comfort within a pro-style structure. With only 15 career starts, his sample size remains limited, though he did earn second-team All-SEC honors in his final season. He also posted an 85.4 score in PFSN’s College Football QB Impact Metric, ranking 25th nationally.
On the PFSN Consensus Big Board, Mendoza’s grade sits at 90.6, ranking him No. 4 overall and firmly placing him among the best prospects. On the Consensus Big Board, Simpson holds an 84.22 grade and ranks No. 45 overall.
That is what makes this Raiders QB discussion so fascinating. If Las Vegas is drafting strictly for scheme, Simpson may indeed be the safer marriage with Kubiak. But if the Raiders are drafting for long-term ceiling and QB talent, Mendoza still looks like the more valuable bet.
