The Las Vegas Raiders are finally in a position to draft a quarterback in the first round, something they have done just five times in franchise history. The moves have not exactly worked out, as the two quarterbacks drafted before the AFL-NFL merger opted to join the NFL, while the three quarterbacks drafted since then were all busts, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in Silver and Black.
This time certainly appears to be different, however, as Fernando Mendoza seems to be the polar opposite of Todd Marinovich and JaMarcus Russell, the last two of those selections, both of whom had their share of non-football issues. While it is clear that the Raiders need a quarterback of the future, several analysts have suggested that the team should trade down from the No. 1 spot.
The argument, although flawed, is relatively simple: The rest of Las Vegas' roster isn't built to compete right away, and Mendoza would be entering an incredibly tough situation as it stands now. Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Dan Orlovsky, however, recently detailed why the Raiders would be foolish to follow that line of advice.
Raiders cannot listen to suggestions that say pass on Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza has done more than enough to solidify his status as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The only question remaining is whether it will be the Raiders handing in the card with his name on it or if they will opt to trade down.
While the overwhelming consensus is that the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner will be in the Silver and Black next season, First Things First's Danny Parkins believes they should trade the pick.
"I expect them to keep it. He strikes me as the type of guy that Tom Brady would love to have a say in drafting and molding into being a winner," Parkins said. "[But] trading the No. 1 pick for a haul is almost always the right move if you have any doubt about the quarterback."
Parkins claimed that Mendoza being the top overall pick is due to it being a weak quarterback class this year. He questioned the national champion's ceiling as a prospect, while claiming that he is a Jared Goff-level player, as if that is some sort of criticism.
RELATED: Raiders would give Geno Smith ultimate slap in the face with this trade idea
Dan Orlovsky, however, took a different stance during a recent appearance on Unsportsmanlike.
"Right now, I would take Mendoza if I was the Raiders," Orlovsky said. "Because of the journey that he's been on, I value that. I value the struggle that he's had to experience. He didn't transfer to a team that had all of these loaded weapons, and you just had to kind of not mess it up. And I really value the performance on Monday night (in the National Championship Game). Monday night, I thought, was the most impressive thing that he did all season because it was more like an NFL game. You're going to get your butt kicked. You're going to have really difficult moments. You're going to make mistakes. And you've got to hang in there."
Orlovsky did note that the Raiders have plenty of holes to fill, which is always the case for a team drafting first overall. His assessment of Mendoza, however, is spot on compared to Parkins, who suggested trading the pick despite his own speculation that the Indiana Hoosiers star is the type of quarterback Tom Brady would want to mold.
Mendoza's play throughout the College Football Playoff showed exactly why he is deserving of being selected first overall. While Las Vegas could get a haul in a potential trade down, it is clear that the franchise should not overthink things and take its first swing at a first-round quarterback since drafting Russell first overall 19 years ago.