Fernando Mendoza — 2026 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

No surprise here. The Raiders take the Heisman Trophy-winning national champion to begin anew at quarterback.

After fielding some trade offers, nothing came close to moving me. The Raiders have to finally take a quarterback in the first round, something they haven't done since JaMarcus Russell. Mendoza projects as a great fit in Klint Kubiak's offense and, hopefully, signals a new era of stability for this franchise.

I have no doubt that Fernando Mendoza is the best available QB in this class, and until there are signals otherwise, there's no reason not to have him going No. 1 to a Raiders team desperate for a QB. Still, while I like Mendoza a lot and love some of his intangibles, I'm not convinced he's a franchise guy at the NFL level.

The Raiders have their coach and now they have their quarterback. I like the marriage between Mendoza's skill set and Klint Kubiak's scheme.

As the Raiders embark upon a new era with Klint Kubiak at head coach, Mendoza is the ideal partner to pair with him. He had a remarkable season in 2025, displaying elite accuracy and overall arm talent to throw to all levels of the field. He improved his pocket awareness and was fantastic in clutch moments, leading the Hoosiers to their first undefeated record and a national championship. Mendoza brings a strong frame and in-pocket mobility with enough creativity to handle duress out of structure. And his quick-processing skills point to a successful starting NFL QB.

This pick feels like an intriguing pairing with new head coach Klint Kubiak. Mendoza is a clean operator whose sheer professionalism could lift the floor up for a franchise that's been in the doldrums for oh so long. Mendoza is accurate, has good size, moves well in the pocket, and constantly finds the right answer from the pocket (he's already a standout in situations like third down, the red zone and two-minute drives). He's not an overwhelming athlete, but can create and scramble for yards when things go astray.

The Raiders' offensive line needs a lot of work, but Las Vegas has an interesting collection of young skill players (Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, I'd even include Tre Tucker here) that would give Mendoza some immediate options as he starts in the NFL. Mendoza's game, work ethic and intelligence should help make his transition to the NFL not quite as daunting (more under center work notwithstanding) when compared to others jumping from a shotgun-heavy college offense. He's exactly what the silver and black need.

We all know where they're going here with this pick. Nothing went right in Pete Carroll's only year as head coach, and this was one of the worst scoring offenses in a long time. Geno Smith didn't work out at quarterback, so they need a quarterback.

We know this is going to be Fernando Mendoza. He had a remarkable year at Indiana. I was always impressed with him in the few times I got to speak with Mendoza. Everyone loves his postgame interviews, and rightfully so. This guy's a football nerd in the best possible sense.

Mendoza was accurate and Indiana utilized a lot of NFL and college concepts with its offense. What I love the most about Mendoza, though, was that when his best was needed, he was great. Every single time, whether it was on the road or in the national championship, when Indiana needed a play, Mendoza delivered with his arm or legs.

If the Raiders want to get to where they want to be, they need a guy like Mendoza at quarterback.