
Barring a shocking turn of events, the Las Vegas Raiders will take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.
At this point, it looks like the only thing that could stop him from being a Raider would be if they trade the selection, which sounds unlikely at this point. That's why, after hearing new head coach Klint Kubiak change his stance on him, the Heisman Trophy winner has doubled down on his previous plans for the NFL Scouting Combine.
As expected, Mendoza won't throw at the event. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, he'll wait until his pro day instead.
"Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will not throw at the combine this week, per source. He will throw at Indiana’s pro day on April 1st, when the school has multiple pass catchers that Mendoza wants to help showcase," Schefter wrote on X.
Mendoza had already opened up on his plans for the combine in an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."
He knows he doesn't have to do anything to help his draft stock, as he's already a lock to be the first player off the board. If anything, throwing at the combine might only hurt his stock.
That's why he'll look to use his platform to help some of his teammates. He's already on the same page with them, and he wants to make them look good to bolster their chances of turning pro.
Mendoza is the consensus best quarterback in this year's underwhelming class. Whether he'll be a star or not remains to be seen, but he has all the leverage to make this kind of move right now.
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