Raiders could be hyped to see this Fernando Mendoza, MVP quarterback comparison

Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, reporters and analysts have often mentioned how Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is similar to Detroit Lions star Jared Goff. 

For a piece published on Friday, Matt Miller of ESPN spoke with an AFC East area scout who thought of a different quarterback while noting that the Las Vegas Raiders will make Mendoza the draft's first pick on the night of April 23. 

Will Fernando Mendoza be Matt Ryan 2.0?

"He's a lot like Matt Ryan was coming out of Boston College," the scout said about Mendoza. "Super accurate, super poised, doesn't get rattled. Got better every week, it seemed like."

Ryan is the greatest quarterback in Atlanta Falcons history, and he earned one regular-season Most Valuable Player Award during his lengthy career. Some may say he should currently own a Super Bowl ring, and he now serves as the Falcons' president of football. 

No disrespect meant to Ryan, but Mendoza seemingly wants to follow in the footsteps of Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. That said, Brady and Co. would likely have little to complain about if Mendoza becomes for the Raiders what Ryan was for the Falcons for over a decade. 

Raiders have no "choice" but to draft Fernando Mendoza?

Coaches and other scouts have noted that Mendoza lacks "an elite skill set" and the "generational talents" teams often want in a quarterback drafted with a first overall pick. Nevertheless, Raiders general manager John Spytek recently made it known that he had "gotten a few calls" about possibly trading the Mendoza pick and that "those teams know where they stand" regarding such a deal. 

"The Raiders really don't have a choice but to draft the quarterback with how the roster is structured now ... and the fact they didn't make any moves for a young quarterback in free agency points to this being the selection," the scout told Miller about the Raiders selecting Mendoza. 

Brady may demand that Mendoza spend at least part of his rookie season learning about life in the NFL as a backup for veteran Kirk Cousins. Giving Mendoza extra time to develop could help him ultimately become the type of MVP quarterback the Raiders hope he'll be throughout his physical prime.