With the pursuit of the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft becoming the priority, the Las Vegas Raiders did what they were supposed to by losing to the New York Giants in Week 17. A loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 would complete the job, but they can win and still secure the first overall pick.
A worst-case scenario would have the Raiders picking second overall. While that wasn't anywhere near the plan coming into the season, a complete bottoming-out was the best thing that could've happened in the big picture for this organization.
Quarterbacks always rise to the top of any early draft projections, and this year, two signal callers rise above the rest. Both also happen to be headed for the College Football Playoff semifinals after wins on New Year's Day.
In particular, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza seemed to solidify himself as a future Raider with a solid, in-command performance against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. On January 9, it'll be an All-Big Ten semifinal when Mendoza leads the Hoosiers against Dante Moore and the Oregon Ducks.
Albert Breer invites idea that Raiders' choice at No. 1 overall isn't a lock
If Moore declares for this year's draft, he is widely regarded as a top-five overall pick. The Raiders can, and surely will, do their due diligence on him if he is draftable, as they vet who they want to be their quarterback of the future.
In his column of takeaways from Week 17, Albert Breer of SI.com talked about how the Raiders' loss to the Giants went a long way toward securing the No. 1 pick in the draft. Breer also added an extra thought that may come from an informed perspective, and Raiders fans may not love it.
"The Raiders, with their loss Sunday, are now positioned to get the top pick in the 2026 draft. But I’m not 100% convinced it’ll be Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza," Breer wrote. "I will say it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he is, and he seems like a great kid, and one you can bet on. I’m just not sure, at this early juncture, whether he’ll go ahead of Oregon’s Dante Moore (should Moore turn down whatever Phil Knight’s offering him to stay in Eugene)."
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If the Raiders' evaluation of draft-eligible quarterbacks ultimately lands them on Mendoza, that is fine. The pulse of the fan base would certainly indicate that, by and large, it is Mendoza or bust in Las Vegas.
But Moore, if he declares for the draft rather than take Oregon's well-sourced NIL money to stay another year, as Breer hinted, cannot (and should not) be ruled out as an option with the first overall pick here in early-January.
Moore is an incredibly talented quarterback in his own right, and there is a reason that he is also in the conversation for the top pick. At the end of the day, Raider Nation is so starved for a young quarterback that they'll get on board with whoever.