The Las Vegas Raiders are in an interesting position, as they begin an offseason that will be pivotal to the franchise for the next decade. They have already fired head coach Pete Carroll after a 3-14 season, and it is highly unlikely that Geno Smith will retain his role as the team's starting quarterback.
Instead, the Raiders will likely use the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to bring in a rookie quarterback that they can pair with whoever they hire to lead the franchise. Building around that duo will be just as important; luckily, the franchise has 10 draft picks and over $110 million in cap space.
As things stand, many expect Las Vegas to make Fernando Mendoza the top pick in the draft. Pat McAfee's recent comments on the Indiana Hoosiers star should bring Raider Nation plenty of excitement when it comes to their potential next quarterback.
Pat McAfee's Fernando Mendoza label should excite Raiders fans
Mendoza is one of four quarterbacks who are still competing for a national title this year. His performance in the Rose Bowl, with a national spotlight, gave Raiders fans a taste of how elite he can be in big moments, as he completed 14 of his 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Even before Mendoza backed that up with five more TD tosses in Indiana's 56-22 dismantling of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, McAfee offered the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner strong praise during a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show.
Raiders fans are going to love the label McAfee used when referring to Mendoza.
"This is a generational guy. I think he's generational. That is how I am describing Fernando Mendoza," McAfee said. "Not just because of the way the ball comes out and the way he's built -- 6'5, 230, I mean, that is exactly what you want. He can run. He just got the edge on Alabama. That's an SEC team. He gets the edge, picks up the first down. But in between the ears, he is a Sunday guy. I mean, it is no questions asked. Plus, he's having beers with the boys. It's like everything you want, basically, in an NFL quarterback. From what we've learned about Fernando Mendoza, he is. And I don't know how many of these guys just pop up."
The Raiders are desperately in need of a generational talent at quarterback, and if Mendoza can be that, it would expedite the franchise's rebuilding efforts. Finding the right play caller, building an offensive line, and bringing in weapons at wide receiver would all be important in developing him, too.
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If he can be the quarterback that McAfee expects him to be, and Las Vegas does indeed select him, it would have an elite young offensive core between Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, and Brock Bowers. Tre Tucker, Michael Mayer, Jack Bech, and Dont'e Thornton Jr. would all be solid secondary weapons.
While the offensive line was, arguably, the worst positional room in the entire NFL in 2025, one has to wonder how much of the blame lies with offensive line coach Brennan Carroll and his lack of player development, along with the injuries suffered by the unit.
The Raiders will certainly look for upgrades in free agency and the draft, but between Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Caleb Rogers, and Charles Grant, they do have some sort of foundation on the line, and three of those players are still on a rookie deal.
If Mendoza turns out to be a generational talent at quarterback, Las Vegas' offense could see a quick turnaround from 2025, when they finished last in both scoring offense and total yards. The Raiders will also need to rebuild their defense, but the Hoosiers' quarterback could be a great starting point for John Spytek and whoever is hired as head coach.