It took a lot for the Las Vegas Raiders to land Fernando Mendoza. After years of failing to have the draft board fall their way, the stars aligned for the Silver and Black to be the worst team in the NFL during the same year that only one quarterback, a very good one, at that, is worthy of the No. 1 pick.
And for Raider Nation, that probably still seems too good to be true. But it was about time that the franchise had a stroke of good fortune after being relegated to the depths of the NFL cellar for over two decades. It is Las Vegas' turn to rise from the ashes and leave other bad teams in the dust.
Much has been made about just how good a prospect Mendoza is, and where he'd stack up against other signal-callers in other classes. But fans should be going crazy as one draft expert believes that the Raiders, if they can put Mendoza in the right situation, just got one of the best prospects in years.
Las Vegas Raiders fans should be even more hyped reading this Fernando Mendoza player profile
FanSided's draft expert, Mike Luciano, reviewed a bit of Mendoza's game ahead of the draft. Very fairly, he laid out some of the good aspects of Mendoza's game, as well as where he needs to grow. But if Las Vegas can put it all together for him, Luciano gives Raider Nation a reason to be optimistic.
"Mendoza will need to show teams that he can thrive out of structure when the play breaks down and learn an NFL offense, but when he is kept clean, he looks like one of the best quarterback prospects in years," Luciano wrote. "With prototypical size, a cannon of a right arm that accurately completes passes as far as 60 yards down the field, and a propensity for stepping up in big games during his national championship run, Mendoza appears to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick."
That is a great summation of Mendoza's game in its current form, and that is plenty of reason for the fanbase and organization to get excited. Plus, Mendoza's work ethic should help him grow. No perfect quarterback prospect exists, and no player can thrive under center without at least a little bit of help.
Fortunately, John Spytek and the front office have been utilizing every resource at their disposal this offseason to invest in the young quarterback, whether it be the hiring of a great schemer in Klint Kubiak or backing up the Brinks truck for center Tyler Linderbaum to protect him.
With nine more selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders are sure to continue adding pieces around the young player, like offensive linemen to build a fortress around him or offensive weapons to galvanize a unit that ranked last in the league in nearly every metric a season ago.
It may take time for Mendoza to live up to his billing, but fortunately, Las Vegas finally has the runway to rebuild and be patient with a young quarterback. If Kubiak can develop him and Spytek can continue adding pieces, it may not be long until Luciano's glimmer of hope becomes a reality.
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