Raiders' Hopeful Mendoza Gets Intriguing Comparison to Former No. 1 Pick

The Las Vegas Raiders want to know what the quarterbacks coming out of college are looking like. With the Silver and Black having the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they will likely take their franchise quarterback.

After one recent game, there is now a clear frontrunner on who the Raiders should be taking in April.

They want to make sure they do all their jobs in taking the right one and one that they all agree on. One that is going to give the team the best opportunity to win games of the future.

That is what the Raiders need, after going the last few seasons without a stable quarterback. That is one major problem the Raiders must solve this offseason after hiring their next head coach.

Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Raiders will have their work cut out for them, but they have to make sure they take their quarterback in this year's draft. The number one pick is not a pick that you get often. The Raiders have not had this pick since the 2007 draft. Now they get their shot and the one they have been waiting on for the last few drafts. The clear quarterback for the Raiders and for them to build with is Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana University.

He is the clear No. 1 overall player and quarterback that everyone should have at the top of their draft board. The Raiders are still going to do their homework on them, but he is everything the Raiders are looking for. The size, the arm, the skill set, but what makes him better and stand out, is his leadership with his team both on and off the field. That is something the Raiders need, and his work ethic is going to make him a better quarterback in the National Football League.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Oregon Ducks during the third quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Fernando Mendoza Comparison to Andrew Luck

"They call him [Fernando Mendoza] the next Andrew Luck. He is big. And when you are 6-5, and you run, and you just lean forward, you see this with Josh Allen, or Ben, or Cam Newton. It is an extra three yards. These guys are big. Mendoza has a way of running," said Colin Cowherd.

"He does not blow you away, but he leans into it, and all of a sudden you look up, and he got seven yards running. The other thing that jumps out to me about him, he does not miss the bubble screen. On the stuff out of the flat. This kid does not miss the layups."

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