Editor's note -- This was actually during Fernando Mendoza's NFL combine interview with the Las Vegas Raiders, not his 30 visit in Las Vegas, as the headline states.
Fernando Mendoza can't endear himself to Las Vegas Raiders fans more than he already has during the pre-draft process. Once he dons the Silver and Black, he'll be subject to criticism once again, but Raider Nation has shielded the obvious No. 1 pick from condemnation since the end of the season.
And for good reason. The Indiana product accomplished all that he could on the field for the Hoosiers and took college football by storm. Not to mention, he did it all with an incredibly positive attitude and while showcasing his unique personality for the world to see.
Mendoza was the only blue-chip prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft that Las Vegas has met with extensively. It is no secret where he's going. And a tidbit from ESPN's Adam Schefter also makes it sounds like Mendoza's 30 visit went great, and fans may love him even more after hearing it.
Adam Schefter's anecdote from Fernando Mendoza's Las Vegas Raiders visit paints incredible picture for fans
Raiders fans know that Schefter is not typically a friend of the organization. But his reporting from Mendoza's on-campus visit in Las Vegas, which took place earlier this month, paints quite a favorite picture for the fanbase.
"Minutes after Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 pick, walked into his first meeting with the Raiders' front office and coaches at the combine in February, they put him on a FaceTime call with the team's limited partner owner, Tom Brady. Mendoza finally got to speak to the quarterback that he idolized, and they spoke for about five minutes, exchanging pleasantries for the first of what should be many times. Mendoza then met with the team's staff for the next 30-plus minutes and was asked to draw plays on a whiteboard.
"When their first meeting ended and Mendoza was leaving the room, he was visibly mad at himself and said loud enough for those around him to hear, 'I messed that up.'
"One Raiders scout walking with him insisted to him that he hadn't, that Mendoza had done great. He did well enough to help convince Las Vegas to select him with the No. 1 pick, while leaving the team with the impression that its soon-to-be quarterback is always striving to improve."
That's pretty much everything you want from a pre-draft visit, and Mendoza's attitude should make Las Vegas fans love him even more. Not only did the front office feel that Mendoza was important enough to get the elusive Tom Brady on the phone, but to also spend extensive time on the whiteboard.
Even though Mendoza, according to the Raiders' braintrust, "had done great," the young quarterback wasn't satisifed. He is a perfectionist and a true workhorse, both mentally and physically, and getting it right in Las Vegas will mean the world to him.
The young quarterback has spoken all offseason about how he isn't a finished product and has things to work on. Analysts and even the Raiders' leadership tandem has talked about how hard it is to transition to the NFL, especially as a quarterback, and that it'll be a long process.
Luckily, Las Vegas doesn't need Mendoza to be perfect, or great, or even very good right away. Kirk Cousins can man the ship while the rookie signal-caller wades further into the trecherous waters of professional football.
But if his pre-draft visit at Raiders HQ was any indication of what kind of person and worker the Silver and Black are getting, then The Nation will badly need to contain its optimism. Mendoza is already a fan favorite, and Roger Goodell hasn't even said his name yet.
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