1 Fit Too Perfect for the Raiders to Pass Up

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to rebuild their roster from the ground up this offseason, as they enter the draft with 10 picks. This includes the top pick in the draft, which many expect will land Fernando Mendoza as Las Vegas' quarterback of the future.

Raiders' Needs

The Raiders have several other needs that are nearly just as pressing as their need for a quarterback. However, even with all of the money they have to spend in free agency and additional draft picks to add more talent, there is no more perfect of a roster fit for the Raiders than Mendoza.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus believes Las Vegas will make the smart, but easy decision of selecting Mendoza, barring an unforeseen, unbeatable trade offer from another quarterback-needy team. Still, few teams need a quarterback as badly as the Raiders do.

"Kubiak leaves the championship panache of Seattle and heads to a Raiders organization seeking its first playoff win since 2002. After the team’s trade for Geno Smith backfired, Las Vegas will assuredly seek an upgrade — and all signs point toward that being Mendoza," Locker said.

"The Heisman Trophy winner compiled a 90.7 PFF passing grade with 23 big-time throws compared to just 12 turnover-worthy plays in 2025, helping Indiana win its first national title in school history. Mendoza’s size, clutch playmaking, excellence when blitzed (86.3 passing grade) and overall makeup render him the No. 1 prospect on the PFF Big Board as well as the consensus No. 1 overall pick.

"Las Vegas could receive a ransom if it traded down in the draft. But considering the thin quarterback market and the franchise’s rare position to select a first-round passer, it seems a near certainty that Mendoza will join Kubiak to accelerate the Raiders’ rebuild."

Locker is correct; the only way the Raiders do not select Mendoza is if they were offered a haul of picks, they absolutely could not say no to. It seems unlikely any team will be able to convince the Raiders to trade what could be their ticket out of quarterback purgatory.

Upon his introduction as the Raiders' next head coach, Kubiak said that the possibility of adding Mendoza factored into his decision to accept the position. Kubiak will be handed the draft's top player from day one and will start off in a better position than Las Vegas' two most recent coaches.

"I think just the resources that the Raiders have, this building, obviously having cap space, having the first pick. Those all go into the decision, and as far as who the first pick is going to be, we've got a lot of tape to watch before we determine who that's going to be, but I'm excited to get into that process,” Kubiak said.

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