The Las Vegas Raiders finished the 2025 season with a 3-14 season, and will have the opportunity to pick No. 1 overall for the first time since they selected JaMarcus Russell all the way back in 2007. The expected top pick is Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who, in a lot of ways, is the opposite of Russell.
The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has proven that no moment is too big for him, as he led the Hoosiers to back-to-back blowout victories over the Alabama Crimson Tide and Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, respectively. Mendoza certainly looked the part of a future franchise quarterback, as he helped his team dominate two of college football's elite programs.
Kurt Benkert recently suggested that Mendoza has the potential to be as good as a soon-to-be Hall of Famer. Despite the strong praise, the former quarterback, who played just two career snaps, both of which were kneel downs, claimed Las Vegas should pass on the Indiana star.
Kurt Benkert's reason for Raiders to pass on Fernando Mendoza doesn't make much sense
Mendoza has had back-to-back dominant performances in the College Football Playoff. Through two games against elite defenses, he has thrown for 369 yards and eight touchdowns, while completing 86.1% of his pass attempts and adding 44 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Benkert praised his play, while simultaneously claiming that the Raiders should pass on him in a lengthy tweet on Thursday.
"I think Mendoza is an operator. Efficient, accurate, and can move the chains with his legs just enough. I DON’T think he can go to Vegas #1 overall and make them competitive in a stacked AFC West. I personally think they will need a quarterback with higher athletic upside to have a shot in the next 2-3 years to flip anything (the timeline it takes to not get a new coach fired). However - he reminds me of a mix between Sam Darnold and Jared Goff. I think Mendoza in the right situation could be a great point guard type of player. Maybe even Brees like if all goes well. The most important thing the Raiders can do is get the right coach and get the right pieces to build a strong ROSTER, not hope a rookie QB pans out. This is not an indictment on Mendoza - I think he’s a solid player, I just think the opportunity cost of what a value of the #1 overall pick holds in trade value or in a potential generational freak at other positions is more than what Mendoza brings to them versus what they could get via trade or free agency."
Yes, the AFC West is one of the league's premier divisions, but the idea that the Raiders should pass on a quarterback who he claims has the potential to be similar to Drew Brees, one of the top signal callers the league has ever seen, makes very little sense. Las Vegas certainly has work to do in terms of building out the rest of its roster, as it has holes at nearly every position.
Benkert did agree with the take that Mendoza is comparable to former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford in the aftermath of Indiana's 56-22 rout of Oregon in the Peach Bowl. So like...who knows where Kurt's head is really at.
Strengthening the case for Mendoza is the fact that the Raiders also have over $100 million in cap space, and are projected to have 10 picks to fill out the rest of their roster. Furthermore, the value of a rookie quarterback with elite-level upside far outweighs any prospective free-agent alternatives.
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The Raiders are certainly not a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender. There is no guarantee, however, that they will be in a position to draft a franchise quarterback down the line. Pairing Mendoza with their young offensive core, headlined by Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, would expedite the process of the franchise turning things around.
The Chicago Bears were in a similar position two years ago, holding the No. 1 overall pick, while their roster was filled with holes. They used the top pick to select Caleb Williams, built out the rest of the roster, and are now the NFC's No. 2 seed heading into the postseason.
If Las Vegas believes that Mendoza has the potential to reach the heights Drew Brees reached, it would be malpractice to pass on him because of the rest of the roster. The NFL has shown time and time again that quarterback is, by far, the most important position.
While pundits have acted differently now that the Raiders are selecting first overall, John Spytek must get his guy and figure out the rest later.