Key Reason Future Raider Mendoza Is NFL-Ready

The Las Vegas Raiders are ready to make it official with their future quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, out of Indiana University. The Silver and Black are going to make it official next Thursday with the first overall pick. Mendoza is going to be the latest quarterback to be taken first overall, and now he will be headed to Las Vegas.

All the talks this offseason about the 2026 NFL Draft have centered on Mendoza, and lately, it's been whether he is worthy of the first overall pick.

Mar 21, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Founders FFC quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks with fans during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mendoza Is NFL-Ready

Whatever is being said about Mendoza, the Raiders are not worried about, and that is something Mendoza does not spend his time worrying about. The Raiders know what they saw and are seeing from Mendoza this offseason, and what one tape from his college film shows.

They love it, and they are going to make that pick. Mendoza is the right pick for the Raiders at No. 1, and he is ready to prove it every day he steps on the field. He is the next franchise quarterback for the Raiders.

Louis Riddick on Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza participates in Indiana University's Pro Day at Mellencamp Pavilion on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mendoza has been working on his game this offseason and has been strictly learning under center and a West Coast-style playbook. That is going to get him as ready as possible for what the Raiders' offense could look like under new head coach Klint Kubiak. Mendoza is not going to wait around and wait for the Raiders to get him learning under center. He is preparing the best he can and doing whatever it takes to be the best version of himself. That is what makes him a special talent and player.

"Everything from when you get under center, how are your feet supposed to be positioned for you to best get out underneath center. With efficiency and timing. So, it's all kind of like it is repeatable, something you realize you could really depend upon. The emphasis of the play fakes, when everyone is doing play action ... The timing and the footwork, and how it is supposed to match up," said NFL analyst Louis Riddick on the Up and Adams Show.

Mendoza will be ready to come in and show why he was the best and why he was the top pick. His mindset and work ethic are going to make him that much better. The Raiders have been looking for a quarterback to lead them into the future, and they are getting a great one.

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