Todd McShay just gave the Las Vegas Raiders an intriguing pick in his latest mock. Well, at least one that goes against the current grain. But what does it mean for the rebuild in Sin City?
McShay’s Mock 1.0 did not just hand the Raiders a quarterback. It handed them a decision about identity.
Dante Moore over Fernando Mendoza?
McShay mocked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to the Raiders at No. 1 overall, and he put the decision in simple terms: Fernando Mendoza looks more ready to step in and win games sooner, while Moore might have the bigger long-term ceiling if Tom Brady and the organization are willing to be patient. That matters because it forces the Raiders to answer a question they’ve wrestled with for years: Are they trying to build this the right way, or are they trying to fix it fast?
The “ready now” pitch is easy to sell in Las Vegas because fans have watched so many fresh starts turn into another reset. A quarterback labeled “NFL-ready” sounds like safety. But it can also be misleading. Sometimes “NFL-ready” just means “less scary,” and drafting a quarterback first overall is scary no matter what. You are still handing a young player the keys and asking him to lead a franchise that is still putting the house together.
Is Moore the better pick for the Raiders?
That is why McShay’s point lands harder than typical mock-draft chatter. It is really a test of the Raiders’ setup. If they have the right coaching, solid pass protection, a clear offensive plan, and the patience to let a quarterback develop, then taking the higher-upside swing makes sense. If they don’t, chasing the “ceiling” can turn into the same old story: a talented young quarterback stuck in a bad situation and a team that ends up starting over again.
The irony is that Moore vs. Mendoza is not just a quarterback debate. It is a coaching and team-building debate. McShay noted that Moore’s draft status may not even be settled until after the national championship, which means the Raiders are staring at a moving target. But that uncertainty should not paralyze them. It should clarify the work that has to happen first: build the environment that makes either choice viable.
Expect the Mendoza-Moore argument to become draft season’s main event, as McShay predicted. The Raiders would be wise to treat it as something else: a referendum on whether they can finally align process with patience—and stop asking a rookie quarterback to fix what the franchise has not finished building.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images