As expected, Fernando Mendoza will be turning pro in 2026. The anticipated No. 1 pick announced on Instagram Friday he has declared for the NFL draft. 
Many of the quarterbacks held in high regard entering the 2025 college season did not meet expectations. Mendoza was an exception, however, with the Cal transfer playing a pivotal role in Indiana’s storybook campaign. The Hoosiers continued their rapid ascent under head coach Curt Cignetti this year, capping off a perfect season by winning the national championship on Monday.
Mendoza easily enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year college career along the way. He posted a 41:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 72% of his passes. Mendoza’s rushing ability is not viewed as a staple of his game at the NFL level, but he posted 276 yards and seven scores this season. That production, coupled with Indiana’s dominance, helped land Mendoza All-American honors along with several other individual accolades.
The Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner has long been viewed as a first-round lock in April’s draft. Opinions were split on his ceiling as a pro passer during the regular season, although Mendoza’s stock has continued to rise through Indiana’s CFP run. The QB-needy Raiders are slated to select first overall, and Dante Moore recently elected to stay at Oregon for next season.
As a result, Mendoza is widely seen as the projected first overall pick in this year’s draft. Vegas is one of five teams with a head coaching vacancy at the moment, and the Raiders hope to bring in a HC with an offensive background. Developing Mendoza will of course be a central priority for the franchise as the Raiders look to rebound from a 3-14 showing during Pete Carroll‘s one-and-done season.
Plenty can and will change with respect to draft evaluations over the coming months. Movement near the top of the first-round order will, as always, be something to watch for as the draft approaches. With respect to the Raiders, however, anything other than calling Mendoza’s name first overall would be seen as a major upset given where things currently stand.
Well this comes as a shock.
For his sake I hope the raiders hire a good offensive coach and give that coach longer than 1-2 years
We’ll be back here in January 2027, talking about how Raiders didn’t hire right coach and ruined this college winning QB. Highlight of their 2025 season was beating Patriots to start season 1-0.
Smart team would trade the pick, it’ll get a massive overpay from someone. So the Raiders will keep it.
Agreed, they absolutely should trade it. They need so much more than a QB.
Given how much cap space they have, they can but WRs and an oline just like the Bears did last yeah for Caleb. Take the QB now.
Good luck with that.
If I’m the Steelers, I do the massive overpay. Tomorrow. Dump a couple of overpriced vets. Dump a pick or two.
This kicking the can down the road routine can’t go on. This kid would be a natural here
Thinking outside the box how a Cardinal-Raider trade.
Lets say
Raiders get QB Murray, WR Harrison, 2026 first round (3rd pick) and a 2027 2nd round pick)
Cardinals get Mendoza
Be good for the Cards, but Murray’s value has cratered.
Was he on anyone’s draft boards before he became the QB for the most loaded team?
Most loaded? They’re certainly not the most loaded, just the most properly constructed team. Cignetti never relied upon recruiting service stars, just the right kids. He took 13 kids from JMU, some that were originally walk-ins at an FCS program giving others 1/2 scholarships, and he showed that bringing the right kids in can build the proper culture.
According to the Lindy’s Pro Football Guide to the 2025 season, he wasnt even mentioned among the top QBs for this past college season. An excellent football source, but he really came out of nowhere. How good was he before coming to Indiana?
Because of the portal Indiana was loaded with basically grown men. The bulk of their roster was 22,23,24, and even 25 year old men with good football experience.
That sounds great in theory…but I just don’t see this kid as a franchise QB. Hope I’m wrong, because he seems like a great kid, but no way would I give up multiple picks to move up for him
Gasp! Shocker!
Another talent being wasted on a trash team and trash organization. Sorry Tom, even you can’t save this franchise.
You’re gonna draft this kid, and have you have the 2ND TO LAST OL in the league. Kid is gonna get killed out there
I wonder if the Raiders would consider trading their first-round pick, they need a lot more than a QB, they have no OL, ask their running back they drafted in the first-round last year. Raiders need as many picks they can get to resurrect this team into even a 500 team.
On the plus side, Nevada doesn’t have a state income tax, so he’s got that going for him.
Roger Goodell: “Well, I guess we better schedule an international game in Cuba for the Raiders” 🙂
I’ve been looking for a QB for a long time, but imho, if someone wants to give us a haul, we should take it. I’d be asking for the NYJ two #1s from 2026, and their #1 from 2027. It’s a lot, but desperate teams do desperate things. And teams with overly-involved owners, sometimes make poor decisions.
With the right coach, Mendoza will be a good quarterback. Starting him from game one seems premature. Throwing rookie QB’s straight into the fire on bad teams usually ruins them.
Really the Raiders should consider a rich package of two 1sts with lots of 2nds, 3ds and 4ths over the next three seasons. There’s a lot of rebuilding to be done there.
When they have a strong OL bring in their franchise QB.
Dolphins trade up offering their 11th pick this year and 1st round pick next year, also include Tua and toss in $ to cover his contract, + other incentives to get the deal done. Mendoza plays for his home city and everyone is happy…except Geno who gets cut in Vegas!
Keep Tua & add a WR or another pick. No team wants Tua