Barring a freak injury, there isn’t anything stopping the Las Vegas Raiders from making Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The franchise needs a quarterback for the future, and Mendoza is the clear No. 1 in this draft class.
There’s been some discussion in recent weeks about Alabama QB Ty Simpson. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has surprisingly claimed that he believes Simpson is a better quarterback pick than Mendoza. Orlovsky is on an island with that take, and he’s earned plenty of criticism for it. Mendoza likely isn’t paying much attention to any of that noise, but perhaps it fueld him at Indiana’s Pro Day.
Fernando Mendoza takes part in Indiana Pro Day and looks like a No. 1 pick
Mendoza didn’t even have to participate in the Pro Day if he didn’t feel like it. He’s a lock to be the first overall pick, so the Raiders and co. don’t need to see anything else from him. But Mendoza has a competitive spirit, choosing to participate and crushing it in the process.
Local news sports director Anthony Calhoun shared footage of Mendoza’s Pro Day workout on Wednesday, and he revealed that the quarterback hadn’t missed a single throw up until the time of the post. He was “having himself a day“.
It’s dfficult for a quarterback to have a truly poor performance in a controlled Pro Day environment, but it’s at least another vote of confidence for Mendoza in the eyes of the Raiders. Tom Brady surely can’t wait to get him into the building.
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