The Las Vegas Raiders have seemingly made up their mind about drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s the best quarterback in the class, and that’s the team’s biggest need.
There’s been a lot of debate about whether or not he’s truly worthy of the top pick. There’s a lot to like about his game. He’s big, he’s tough and he played well in big games.
However, there’s been some recent pushback on Mendoza ahead of the draft. Some media pundits have suggested that Alabama’s Ty Simpson is actually the better prospect.
Fox Sports’ Eric D. Williams spoke to a scout who is actually very low on Mendoza. He ripped into the quarterback.
“His footwork is all over the road because of the RPO (run-pass option) offense,” a longtime NFL scout told Williams. “He has adequate deep ball strength, but his accuracy is inconsistent deep. He has good anticipation and zip on timing routes and good accuracy short to intermediate, but he’s not accurate when pressured.”
Mendoza has mostly been praised for accuracy and play under pressure, but if one scout feels like he doesn’t do those things well, then there are likely others.
Mendoza’s Personality Won’t Mesh in NFL?
Another reason Mendoza has endeared himself to so many football fans is his personality. He’s very wholesome and is constantly praising his teammates.
While that plays well at the college level, the scout isn’t quite sure his personality translates to the NFL.
“He is tough and will take a shot to the chest to complete a pass,” the scout told Williams. “He has talent, but a questionable ceiling — this might be the floor and the ceiling.
“I don’t know if the goody two-shoes, LinkedIn personality will fit into the diversity of an NFL locker room.”
Raiders Not Moving Off Mendoza Now
The Raiders have likely heard these concerns and done their research on them. They’ve been doing work on Mendoza for months at this point.
He completed 72% of his passes last season, so the accuracy complaint seems unwarranted. Also, his teammates loved him at Indiana. It’s hard to imagine people are going to start hating him when he’s in the NFL.
The league is filled with all types of personalities, including “goody two-shoes” like Mendoza. At this point, it would take a lot for the Raiders to move off of Mendoza.
There aren’t any other quarterback prospects in the conversation for the No. 1 pick. It’s very difficult to get that top pick, so the Raiders aren’t going to pivot to a pass rusher because some scouts have concerns about Mendoza.
It’s possible that he doesn’t pan out, but it’s hard to see him being an outright bust. He’s a hard worker who got better every year in college. The Raiders can feel comfortable knowing that at least Mendoza will do everything he can to make sure he’s successful. A quarterback can change the trajectory of a franchise, and that’s something they need to happen in Las Vegas.
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