What Raiders reportedly have learned about Fernando Mendoza

Regardless of what former NFL quarterback/current analyst Dan Orlovsky and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum have to say about the subject, just about every well-known reporter who posts mock drafts is predicting that the Las Vegas Raiders will make Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and not Alabama star Ty Simpson the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

On Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared what recently hired Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have learned about Mendoza over the past couple of months. 

How Fernando Mendoza improved during final college season

"Those in the inner circle have all watched every snap Mendoza played both at Cal and Indiana," Breer wrote about the Raiders. "What they saw was a player who consistently got better — maybe best evidenced this past year by the drop in his sack numbers, a result of being on a better team, yes, but also a quarterback playing faster." 

ESPN stats show that Mendoza took just 25 sacks this past season. During his final campaign with Cal, he was sacked 41 times. Of course, he also established himself as a national champion as part of a stunning Indiana run. 

It was revealed that Mendoza is already learning the Raiders’ offense. As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Mendoza as a -20000 betting favorite to be the draft's first pick. In short, it would be absolutely stunning if the Raiders drafted somebody else or traded what likely will forever be known as the Mendoza selection to a different team. 

What Raiders know about Fernando Mendoza's personality

Breer also touched upon what the Raiders have learned about Mendoza's personality. 

"The first shot the Raiders had to do that was with a formal meeting at the combine, where they saw an authentic (if different) and driven kid with a maniacal work ethic, which basically confirmed what Las Vegas had already gathered from the coaches at both of Mendoza’s schools," Breer added. "The next step actually comes this week. After wrapping up here at the owners meetings on Tuesday, Spytek and Kubiak will fly to Indiana for Mendoza’s pro day on Wednesday...They’ll watch his workout with the rest of the team, then have a whiteboard meeting and a dinner with him."

Breer and others seem convinced that meal could be an opportunity for Spytek and Kubiak to confirm that Mendoza will soon start calling Vegas home.