It was another disappointing year for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 NFL season, but instead of feeling discouraged, the fanbase actually felt more optimistic than ever. Surely, a new coach was coming, and he'd be paired with a young quarterback taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But thankfully, John Spytek didn't just rest on his laurels and hope that the young signal-caller, who ended up being Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, would be a cure-all. Instead of asking him to single-handedly lift this team from the ashes, the Raiders made significant improvements across the board.
Not only is the defense massively improved at all three levels, but Las Vegas added a veteran mentor at quarterback, a few major pieces on the offensive line, another pass-catcher in Jalen Nailor and a solid secondary back to Ashton Jeanty in the fourth round with Mike Washington Jr.
And Mendoza clearly noticed.
Fernando Mendoza knows Las Vegas Raiders have made improvements this offseason
When speaking with Amber Theoharis, James Jones and Eric Allen during his first day at Raiders HQ, Mendoza was asked by Theoharis about the situation that he is walking into, compared to other recent No. 1 picks. Mendoza clearly thinks that Las Vegas has done some great work this offseason.
"I believe it's a huge step ahead. And it's a huge step up ahead because not only are all those great talents, they're also great people. They're great people. And that's what's so first class about this organization," Mendoza said. "And I'm just trying to prove that I belong. I'm one of them. And so I'm just looking forward to rookie mini camp in a couple of days, so I can prove it and just start diving my head into the offense."
Mendoza, of course, in his ever-humble fashion, feels like he needs to prove that he belongs. And he is absolutely right that he'll need to earn everything for the Silver and Black. But the Raiders also built this entire team around the idea that they'd have a rookie quarterback in tow for several years.
Unlike other teams in the past, however, Las Vegas isn't just throwing Mendoza to the wolves. The presence of Kirk Cousins means that he doesn't even need to play right away, and the team is still far better set up to support him now if he does end up on the field than they were at the end of the year.
This Raiders team is practically unrecognizable from just a few months ago, as they gave out the most guaranteed money in the NFL during free agency to lure veterans to Las Vegas. They were also aggressive in the draft in an attempt to land "their guys," of which they ended up with multiple.
Perhaps more important, as Mendoza clearly stated, is the kind of person that the Silver and Black have brought into this building this offseason. With a group of talented, high-character players that are hungry around Mendoza, the Raiders really can't go wrong, and Mendoza knows it.
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