The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2026 NFL draft with a glaring issue: their offensive line.
In 2025, Las Vegas allowed a league-high 64 sacks, resulting in a sack rate of 10.6 percent – more than 60 percent above the NFL average of 6.5 percent.
Quarterback Geno Smith was pressured on nearly 38 percent of his dropbacks, giving him only 2.41 seconds on average before defenders arrived.
Under pressure, Smith‘s completion rate plummeted from 67.4 to 48.8 percent, highlighting how dangerous the line’s weaknesses can be for any quarterback.
This situation has prompted debate around the Raiders‘ potential first overall pick, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza‘s impressive 16-0 season and national championship success at Indiana have made him an attractive prospect, but sportscaster Dan Patrick has warned that drafting him first overall may not be the solution.
“I don’t know if Fernando Mendoza is a great quarterback,” Patrick said on the Dan Patrick Show.
“I think he’s a great story, but once again, I would not draft him number one if I were the Raiders.”
He pointed out that the team’s overall roster problems, particularly the offensive line, could make it nearly impossible for Mendoza to succeed immediately, despite his talent.
Tom Brady sees a bright future for Mendoza
Even so, NFL legend Tom Brady has spoken highly of Mendoza, praising both his performance and maturity. “He’s played tremendously all season,” Brady said.
“Sixteen and 0, leading his team. He’s another guy that when you hear him speak, I always kind of judge quarterbacks; I go, ‘How would I have answered that?’, and he’s just a very mature young man.
“He’s got a bright future. Everybody coming into the league, there’s still so much room for development. Nobody’s a finished product.”
In his single season at Indiana, Mendoza completed 273 of 379 passes for 3,535 yards, throwing 41 touchdowns against six interceptions.
Scouts have noted areas for improvement, including deep ball accuracy, athleticism under pressure, and decision-making.
If drafted by the Raiders and mentored by Brady, Mendoza could overcome these challenges and become the franchise quarterback Las Vegas has long sought.
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