Raiders Coach Shares Thoughts on Fernando Mendoza Ahead of NFL Draft

Klint Kubiak offered his initial impression of projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders are expected to draft Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick next month. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

In a matter of weeks, the Raiders are expected to kick off the 2026 NFL draft by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.

Mendoza established himself as the top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft after leading Indiana to an undefeated record, winning the national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy. The 22-year-old impressed with his accuracy and poise throughout the season, completing 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions during the 2025 campaign.

“He’s a national champion, he’s winner, he’s accurate, he's quick, he's strong, he's tall, he's intelligent,” Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said of Mendoza at the annual league meetings.

More: Albert Breer’s Takeaways: Raiders Have Done Their Homework on Fernando Mendoza

Kubiak previously didn’t offer too much about Mendoza when he initially was introduced as the Raiders’ new coach, but did offer a few compliments on Tuesday. Assuming the Raiders do draft Mendoza—or any quarterback in general—Kubiak noted he isn’t necessarily in favor of starting him from Day 1.

“Ideally, you don't want him to start from day one,” Kubiak said. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. Like I said before, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it's our job as a coach to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”

The message echoed what Raiders general manager John Spytek said earlier this offseason about preferring to sit a rookie quarterback initially.

“You want to limit the amount of pressure you have on that guy on the start. If you have a young quarterback, I’m not necessarily in favor of running him out there right away either. Another quality player that can play the position if you have a quarterback, obviously a great offensive line, a run game, all the things that can limit his chances to really get killed,” Spytek said at the combine.

The Raiders have built up their roster around Mendoza through free agency. They signed multiple linebackers and edge rushers, wide receiver Jalen Nailor and most notably added center Tyler Linderbaum on a record-setting contract. The Raiders still have a need at receiver and Kubiak noted they need greater depth at safety, but they are in a better position if Mendoza does end up starting Week 1 or early in the 2026 season. They remain open to adding another veteran quarterback outside of Aidan O’Connell, who is currently the lone signal-caller on their roster.

As the Raiders continue to do their due diligence on Mendoza before the draft, they will next attend his pro day at Indiana on Wednesday. Mendoza did not throw at the combine, instead opting to throw at his pro day so he could do so with his own teammates.

You get to know him so well on film, there shouldn't be very many surprises when you get to that pro day, but seeing somebody throw live, seeing the velocity it comes off their wrist, and how accurate they are and how they interact with the teammates they're throwing the ball to, if being around scouts and general manager and coaches makes them nervous,” Kubiak said of watching a quarterback at his pro day. “Just seeing what their demeanor is like in a pressure situation is valuable.”

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