A lot will change between now and next April, but Geno Smith's play has not inspired any confidence in Raider Nation or the franchise. Unless there is a miraculous turnaround, the Las Vegas Raiders should be chomping at the bit to select their quarterback of the future during the 2026 NFL Draft.
There are two key snags that Las Vegas could hit on its way to doing this, however. One is that there is supposedly a shortage of top-flight signal-callers set to be available in this next year's draft. The other is that there is no guarantee that the Raiders would be in a position to select one anyway.
Las Vegas has maintained its desire to compete this season, which means that it is unlikely that the Raiders will be near the very top of the draft board. Luckily, a recent mock draft just projected Las Vegas' dream prospect to fall right in right in the team's lap despite this.
Raiders somehow land Fernando Mendoza at No. 8 in 2026 mock draft
On Thursday, FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang released his latest mock draft, and the Raiders were slotted in at pick No. 8. Still, somehow, they were able to land coveted Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
"The Raiders were certainly expecting more than a league-leading 10 interceptions through seven games from Geno Smith, after trading for him and awarding the 35-year-old quarterback a two-year, $75 million extension that all but guarantees he will be back in black next season," Rang wrote. "Still, with their choice of quarterbacks available, the club shouldn’t hesitate to draft for the future. Mendoza’s quick release and mobility would be an intriguing fit in Chip Kelly’s offense, and Smith’s presence would buy the young quarterback time to acclimate to the NFL."
As Rang mentioned, Las Vegas had its pick of quarterbacks in this projection, as none were selected in the top seven. Rightfully, they chose the Indiana star, who has taken college football by storm this season with his elite production, dazzling plays and NFL-ready frame.
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Mendoza can make elite throws like this, others like this, and even use his legs like this. You get the point; he is an elite talent. The 6-foot-5 22-year-old has drawn comparisons to players like Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Jaxson Dart, which should make Raiders fans jump out of their seats.
When looking at his numbers alone, Mendoza looks like a difference-maker. His 72.9% completion percentage is absurd, as are his nation-leading 24 touchdown passes and 11.17 yards per attempt. But he's also thrown just 3 interceptions and tacked on 196 yards and 3 scores on the ground.
Some fans are in the business of tanking for a quarterback of this caliber, but in this exercise, the Raiders did not even have to. It is incredibly unlikely, but if Las Vegas can show some promise in the second half of the year, win some games, and still land a player like this, that would be a dream scenario.