While the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookies and veterans are now engulfed in their respective offseason programs as they approach their first joint venture in OTAs later this month, Raider Nation is still basking in the glory of a seemingly successful offseason.
Ultimately, however, this team will go nowhere if Fernando Mendoza isn’t the player that Las Vegas and this fanbase thinks he can be. But until he steps on the field and shows signs of that being the case, Raiders fans’ optimism will remain sky-high, as it should.
In a recent ESPN mini-documentary, The Pick Is In, fans got an in-depth look at the inner workings of several NFL teams’ draft rooms during the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders were one of them, and they caught up with John Spytek after Las Vegas picked Mendoza.
Las Vegas Raiders GM had perfect thing to say about Fernando Mendoza pick in new ESPN footage
Spytek did his best to keep it cool about Mendoza during the pre-draft process and act as if he were keeping his options open. And although this was no coronation, Spytek’s two-liner about the Mendoza selection truly said it all.
“It’s probably the least suspenseful first-round pick I’ve ever been a part of,” Spytek said. “But at the same time, it was one of the most, if not the most exciting picks I’ve ever been a part of.”
From the outside looking in, this pick was painfully obvious since January. But as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer made clear in his recent column, the Raiders didn’t rush it. They took every necessary step and didn’t shortchange the work or process.
And Spytek’s confidence in Mendoza is infectious. Raider Nation already expected a lot from the young player, but the faith in him keeps growing with everything that the fanbase reads or hears. It is practically a unanimous positive vote.
He has a long way to go in proving everything on the field, but that's the best thing about Mendoza: He loves that challenge. He seems to revel in being at the bottom of the totem pole. And if he isn't there yet, he'll tenaciously put in the work to get there, with a smile on his face.
So, Spytek is on the money when he says that this is exciting. For the first time in a long time, the Silver and Black have a bona fide "dude" with incredible promise under center. And while it was the worst-kept secret for the longest time, that doesn't dim the selection in any way.
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