No one can ever be completely certain about what’s going to happen, in any walk of life. But if everything goes according to plan, the Las Vegas Raiders will make Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23.
The writing has been on the wall ever since the Raiders locked up the first pick in the draft. Mendoza left no doubts after leading the Indiana Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship. Mendoza will walk into a rebuilding franchise, but he will be guided by offensive guru Klint Kubiak, who will be a first-time head coach.
Kubiak is coming off of a Super Bowl-winning season as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. With his guidance, Sam Darnold had his second-best season as a pro quarterback and made crucial plays in the playoffs. Kubiak’s strong work with quarterbacks is notable.
Fernando Mendoza’s arm strength stands out to draft analysts
Now, Kubiak will get to work with the extremely talented Mendoza. The tools are certainly there for Mendoza to be a superstar, and there’s one specific trait that stands out above the rest. Josh Norris and Hayden Winks of the Underdog Football Show consider Mendoza’s arm strength “impossible to ignore”.
Mendoza’s throwing power lends itself well to a couple of the Raiders’ pass-catchers. Tre Tucker possesses 4.32 forty-yard dash speed, but it was underutilized in 2025 by OC Chip Kelly, and he could never get on the same page as Geno Smith on deep throws.
Meanwhile, tight end Brock Bowers is the team’s most talented pass-catcher. Him and Mendoza could do a lot of damage in the middle of the field on seam throws that require a lot of arm strength from quarterbacks. Expect Kubiak to get a lot out of that duo.
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