For perhaps the first time in recent memory, the Las Vegas Raiders have a quarterback who isn't polarizing or downright bad. Some may have higher expectations or a different timeline for when he'll have success, but the consensus is that Fernando Mendoza will indeed succeed in Silver and Black.
Not only was Mendoza the undisputed No. 1 pick, but he was drawing comparisons to players like Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan and Joe Burrow. Heck, even recent Super Bowl-winner Sam Darnold. And although those players had varying levels of greatness in the NFL, they are all lofty parallels.
But as we learned with the whole Dan Orlovsky saga before the draft, Mendoza has a small minority of detractors, even if those "non-believers" just think he is good and not great, or not as good as somebody else. One college coach, however, came out of the woodwork to criticize him.
And it is both utterly ridiculous and not supported by his peers.
One ACC coach isn't a believer in Las Vegas Raiders' Fernando Mendoza (but he should be)
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg collected some commentary from college coaches after the NFL Draft, and one ACC coach doesn't seem to think that Mendoza has what it takes to thrive in Las Vegas or in the NFL in general.
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the ACC coach said. “They’re all back-shoulder [throws]. That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”
Now, talking down on a player who just ran the table in college football isn't a good look. In fact, after the season he had, it makes this coach like a poor evaluator of talent and like someone who has sour grapes after seeing Mendoza succeed.
Sure, Mendoza didn't have a dominant year when Cal was in the ACC, but he grew a lot between his second-to-last and final college seasons. What he showed on the field cannot be disputed, even if that ACC coach was on the staff at Miami, who made it to the National Championship.
Miami famously lost to Indiana in the finale, as they got taken down by Mendoza, a local Miami kid that they snubbed at every turn. Any other ACC coach has neither any room to talk, or loses any ounce of credibility that they once had by slighting Mendoza.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who has some serious skins on the wall in the NFL as well, sang Mendoza's praises in a recent media appearance. And Indiana's Curt Cignetti, who watched him every practice and has the best grip on him as a prospect, had great things to say as well.
"His movement skills were very underrated, and I think his arm strength is very underrated," Cignetti said.
Another Power 4 defensive coordinator wouldn't anoint him, which is fair before Mendoza has even played an NFL snap, but even he could praise Mendoza appropriately and see things reasonably.
"He had a lot of support, lot of help there, so we'll see what he can do. What I was impressed with him is coming up big. You can't teach that, and he has it."
Rittenberg also noted another Big Ten coach's comments about how great Mendoza is and why exactly he'll be able to thrive in the NFL.
A Big Ten coach who has spent most of his career in the league said Mendoza is one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has seen. The coach pointed to Mendoza's scarcity of turnovers or ill-advised throws, and his mix of intelligence, size and movement.
Let's not let one coach taint the image of Fernando Mendoza. Obviously, he'll have to prove his worth as a Las Vegas Raider, but anyone doubting what he did at the college level or choosing to be in the dark is purposely being dense or not approaching things honestly.
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