Fernando Mendoza reveals how he's preparing to start for Raiders as a rookie

Following what was seen by many as an impressive pro-day workout, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback and presumed No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza acknowledged that he felt the session "went great." 

During a separate chat with NFL Network's Rhett Lewis, Mendoza revealed how he is spending portions of the offseason preparing as if he will be the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 1 starter. 

Fernando Mendoza already worrying about "rookie wall"

"A lot of trainers, a lot of coaches talk about the rookie wall. That once you finish playing Jan. 19, you go straight into training, and you go all the way to next February, hopefully," Mendoza told Lewis, per Eric Edholm of the NFL's website. "But…I love football. I've never burnt out. I'm never going to hit a rookie wall." 

Just about every analyst and insider who creates mock drafts is predicting that the Raiders will happily grab Mendoza with the first choice of the draft on April 23. That said, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak hinted that he could sit Mendoza "behind a mature adult" this coming fall so that the incoming rookie can "watch how they run the show." 

Fernando Mendoza couldn't wait to start preparing for rookie season

Meanwhile, a recent report shared how the Raiders have confirmed during the offseason that Mendoza is a "driven kid with a maniacal work ethic." During his conversation with Lewis, Mendoza explained how he rested for a week after Indiana's National Championship victory over Miami before he got back to work. 

"In early February, (I started) training, lifting, running. All those things are fun to me, and I find great pride and satisfaction in those activities anyways," Mendoza added. "...There was a little bit of an itch to get back. But part of performing is also resting, so I had a very calculated rest regimen."

Mendoza likely doesn't need to do anything more to win Kubiak and others within the Raiders over. It remains to be seen if there is anything Mendoza can do to convince his future employer that he should be named Las Vegas' QB1 as soon as this coming summer.