The Las Vegas Raiders are almost certainly going to come out of the 2026 NFL Draft with a new starting quarterback. The expectation has been that they will select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.
However, there’s been some debate that Alabama’s Ty Simpson might be the better prospect. The Raiders have yet to show any interest in Simpson, but their interest in Mendoza has been obvious since owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek went to watch him play in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Ahead of the draft, the team is going to get a close look at the young quarterback. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are hosting Mendoza on a Top 30 visit in the coming weeks.
Notably, the Raiders aren’t meeting with him until after his Indiana Pro Day. That’ll give them a chance to ask him questions based on his performance. Since the Raiders have the No. 1 pick, there’s no reason for them to be sneaky.
If they’re even considering Simpson, they’ll have him come in for a visit. If that doesn’t happen, there’s almost no way they’ll take him at No. 1 when the draft rolls around. This will be an incredibly important meeting for Mendoza, but it looks like he’s already pretty close to convincing the Raiders to take him with the top pick. He just needs to seal the deal when they meet.
Is Mendoza a Lock to Go No. 1?
Despite the recent push for Simpson to be the top quarterback taken, it doesn’t seem like that argument is gaining much steam. Simpson had a chance to show he was better than Mendoza when Alabama and Indiana faced off in the College Football Playoff, and Mendoza completed 87.5% of his passes and threw three touchdowns.
It’s possible that Simpson will be a very good NFL quarterback, but Mendoza is the better prospect. It would take a lot for the Raiders to move off him at No. 1. He’ll likely look good at Indiana’s Pro Day, and his personality should continue to win over the team.
Typically, off-field issues are the only thing that could derail such an obvious No. 1 pick, but Mendoza’s background is as clean as can be.
Mendoza Still Atop Mock Drafts
Even the people who are championing Simpson don’t seem to believe the Raiders will take him over Mendoza. With just weeks before the 2026 NFL Draft, it would be a massive surprise if Mendoza wasn’t wearing Silver and Black next season.
In The Athletic’s latest mock draft, Vic Tafur expects it to go that way.
“The Raiders have a logical plan, with a new play-calling coach and shiny new big-money center, and when’s the last time you could say that? Some may not like the idea of the Raiders sitting Mendoza for a while, but that’s what they want to do,” Tafur wrote.
The Raiders have needed a franchise quarterback for a while, and Mendoza might be the player they’ve been longing for. Even if he’s not at the level of the Josh Allens and Lamar Jacksons of the world, even being servicable would be an upgrade over what Las Vegas has had.
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