The Las Vegas Raiders fought hard to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They pissed off superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby along the way by holding him out, but the front office made sure that the Silver and Black would be the first team on the clock in April.
When Oregon quarterback Dante Moore decided to return to school for his final collegiate season, it felt like the Raiders had gotten on the last chopper out of a war zone. Only one quarterback has a first-round grade in this year's class, and nobody can jump Las Vegas for his talents.
Fernando Mendoza is that player, and almost nobody around the league believes that the Raiders will pass on him, nor are any credible voices really advocating for them to do so. Las Vegas has long needed a young quarterback and head coach duo, and they will soon have one.
Klint Kubiak was introduced at Raiders HQ on Tuesday, and although he made a good first impression, he intentionally avoided making any comments about Mendoza. Let's dive into exactly what he, John. Spytek and Mark Davis said about the young quarterback and why there is no reason to worry.
Klint Kubiak's non-answer on Fernando Mendoza doesn't mean anything
Kubiak was initially asked about the prospect of drafting Mendoza with the first pick, and the rookie head coach did not bite. Instead, he talked about all of the resources that the Raiders have this offseason, and how determining the No. 1 selection will be a process.
"The resources that the Raiders have: This building, having cap space, having the first pick, those all go into the decision," Kubiak said. "And as far as who the first pick is going to be, we got a lot of tape to watch before we determine who that's going to be. But I'm excited to get into that process."
Of course, a first-time head coach is not going to make any guarantees at his first press conference, especially when the idea of a collaborative approach was preached by both him and Spytek. No good coach or general manager would show their cards this early in the process, either.
Another reporter tried to pry an answer out of Kubiak as it pertained to Mendoza, too, but no dice.
"What an opportunity to get to go study this draft, and we'll come to that conclusion here soon enough. There's a lot of work to be done before then. But it's just another opportunity to make the roster better. Not only do you have the first overall pick, but you're picking early in all the other rounds, too. Looking forward to attacking that process with John and our scouting department and the coaches working really closely together."
Spytek also spoke with Amber Theoharis, James Jones and Eric Allen about all of the options that the Raiders have with the No. 1 pick. Spytek, of course, didn't tip his hand and talked again about the collaborative process that they have ahead. Another very political answer.
"Yeah, [Kubiak's] going to be a great partner in it, and we're going to trust each other through it, and we're going to talk through all of it. We're not going to begin with the end in mind. We're going to go through our entire process," Spytek said. "This isn't a 'Collecting of talent' job or field. It's: build a great football team, and there's a lot of different ways to do it. We saw Seattle just build a fantastic defense, but still sign a really good, high-price quarterback in free agency and make it work. There's a lot of different ways to do it. And so Klint and I are just going to sit together once he gets back from this parade tomorrow and devise our plan for the best way to build the Raiders, and we'll go forward with that in mind."
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Fans should also be reminded that Kubiak, as the offensive coordinator of a successful team that just went on a run to win the Super Bowl, probably wasn't too tuned in to the college football scene. Whereas the Raiders were focused on the draft, Kubiak and the Seahawks had bigger fish to fry.
"Yeah, my exposure (to Mendoza) is very limited. I saw him play the national championship game. I saw the interviews he's given after those games and how team-oriented he is," Kubiak said. "But I look forward to getting to know the player better. Obviously, a really talented guy with a bright future, and we'll see where he ends up. But we got a lot of work to do to get to know him before that time comes."
We'll see where he ends up.
That part is probably going to hang over the collective head of Raider Nation until the card is turned in. But fans should not fret or be worried. Kubiak and Spytek are simply operating under a veil of secrecy, and the former wouldn't have taken the job if Las Vegas didn't have a quarterback plan.
Plus, majority owner Mark Davis couldn't hide his excitement when asked about Mendoza.
"He looked good. Well, he won the national championship, so that's a good thing," Davis said. He was then asked about Michael Crabtree's No. 15 jersey potentially coming back, which was Mendoza's number in college. "It's possible," Davis said, smiling. "It looked great when Tom Flores wore it."
Kubiak and Spytek, as the now-faces of the operation, have to keep their cool. They can't reveal too much, or really anything. But Davis can confidently sit in the background and get excited about the prospect of Mendoza because he knows what everyone in Raider Nation should already know:
Mendoza will be the next quarterback of the Silver and Black.
"It came down to where we are this year, having the first pick in the draft and everything, and understanding that there's a good chance we'll go on the offensive side of the ball," Davis admitted. "So, it might be a good chance that we would want a young offensive mind that could grow with somebody, is what started in my mind. That's the direction we wanted to go."