The Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback of the future and in our latest mock draft scenario, general manager John Spytek finally gets his guy.
2025 has been a complete disaster and utter failure for the Silver and Black. There’s no other way to express that than just being blunt. Head coach Pete Carroll sold Raider Nation on the notion that this team would be competitive, remember that? Instead, it’s been a tale of incompetent playcalling, disorganization, and at times, questionable effort. For now, and for the sake of this mock, we’re going to assume Spytek gets a chance to properly rebuild.
Along with surely picking a new coach, the responsibility of choosing a potentially franchise-altering draft selection will loom large. Luckily for Spytek, if the Raiders end up picking in the top two or three, there’ll be an obvious choice to make.
Round 1: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza’s rise reads like the kind of quarterback fable scouts swear they’re immune to, right up until it starts ruining their draft boards. A three-star recruit. No blue-chip glow. Buried behind a transfer portal starter. And yet here we are, watching another “overlooked” quarterback quietly check every box while the league pretends this is all very surprising.
The résumé is solid, not cinematic. Mendoza didn’t throw for 45 touchdowns or warp defenses with highlight-reel chaos. Instead, he did something far more unsettling for evaluators who prefer clean narratives: He improved. In 2024, Mendoza completed nearly 69 percent of his passes, protected the football, and kept Cal competitive against real opponents, including a top-10 Miami team that learned—briefly—that discipline can be uncomfortable. It was not perfect, but it was coherent, which already places him ahead of several quarterbacks who arrived with far better recruiting pedigrees and far fewer answers.
What does the film say?
The film supports the case. Mendoza processes quickly, uses pump fakes to move defenders and anticipates throwing windows with consistency. He generally understands leverage, though he will occasionally challenge defenders who are better positioned to make a play. His arm talent is real, with the ability to drive the ball into tight seams, even if his mechanics can slip when plays break down. As a runner, he is functional rather than explosive, a profile that has long proven effective at the position.
Then came the Heisman moment, which felt less like a coronation and more like a testament to persistence. Mendoza’s speech was earnest and grounded, inspiring enough to invite inevitable Tom Brady comparisons. That is less about imitation than identity. Quarterbacks who rise from being overlooked often develop habits rooted in discipline and preparation, traits that tend to age well at the next level.
Why should the Raiders draft Mendoza?
This is where the Raiders enter, stage left, carrying a very expensive Geno Smith contract and a fan base already eyeing the exit ramps. Smith was supposed to stabilize the position. Instead, he stabilized the discourse around dissatisfaction. He is 35, costly, and no longer plausibly part of a long-term plan.
Mendoza, by contrast, represents something Las Vegas has rarely managed: a reset that does not require pretending the past never happened.
*Top Photo: Getty Images