HENDERSON, Nev. -- The predestined pairing of Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders became a reality Thursday night when the former Indiana quarterback was selected with the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL draft.
Mendoza is the first signal-caller drafted by the Raiders on Day 1 since JaMarcus Russell in 2007. He's the new face of the franchise and is expected to lead the organization toward its goal of sustained success.
The Raiders have swung and missed at the quarterback position just as much as they have with head coaches in recent years -- new coach Klint Kubiak was hired in February as the Raiders' fifth head coach since 2021. And seven players have started at quarterback since the team parted ways with Derek Carr at the end of the 2022 season. None of the quarterbacks during that stretch presented a long-term solution at the position.
The Raiders traded for Geno Smith last season and gave him a two-year, $75 million deal as an immediate fix. But Smith went on to throw a league-high 17 interceptions and was traded to the New York Jets in March.
Mendoza, however, is expected to be the Raiders' answer for years to come at football's most important position. But for him to succeed in Las Vegas, the organization must be patient with his development and build around him. From the run game to the defense, the Raiders have roster moves to make in order to take the pressure off Mendoza, especially if he ends up being the starter at some point during his rookie season.
"The success of the quarterback is the success of the team playing good defense, special teams [and] running the football," Kubiak said at the combine in February.
THE RAIDERS BEGAN been strengthening the support staff around Mendoza long before he heard his name called Thursday night. It started when Kubiak was named the new coach less than 24 hours after helping the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX as their offensive coordinator in February.
With the plan to draft Mendoza, Las Vegas brought in Kubiak, who is known for his experience coaching and developing quarterbacks such as Carr, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins (who joined the Raiders on a one-year deal earlier this month).
Mendoza's skill set is a natural fit for Kubiak's system, which strikes a balance between the play-action pass game and outside-zone running. He has good accuracy and ball placement ability. Mendoza is also a good decision-maker, can make adjustments pre-snap and is effective at getting the ball out of his hands quickly.
The 22-year-old was efficient in downfield throws last season for Indiana. On throws that range between 21 and 30 air yards, Mendoza went 24-of-46 (52.2%) for 839 yards, 10 touchdowns and had no interceptions. On vertical routes, he went 24-of-54 (44.4%) for 556 yards, 12 touchdowns and had no interceptions.
Sure, Mendoza will have to adjust to lining up under center after relying heavily on a run-pass option offense and playing in the shotgun throughout his college career. But it's not something he can't handle. He is a good processor and well-prepared. Ahead of the draft, Mendoza trained with former NFL quarterback Brian Griese to develop a greater understanding of the West Coast offense.
Griese was the quarterback for the Denver Broncos from 1998 to 2002, when Kubiak's dad, Gary, was the offensive coordinator. Griese also spent three seasons (2022-24) as the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan.
"He sees and processes [the game] very well [and] fast," former Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt said of Mendoza. "And it's just the work that he puts in ... Like, he does it after practice. He's staying, getting the practice script, going through the plays, and then he's staying after, watching some films. I feel like he's going to do the same thing when he's playing on Sundays as well."
In high-pressure moments, Mendoza has shown he's capable of rising to the occasion. In the Hoosiers' 13-10 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship, Mendoza completed a 51-yard pass to Charlie Becker on third down to set up a go-ahead touchdown pass to Sarratt.
Against Miami in the national title game, Mendoza powered his way into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run to secure the Hoosiers' 27-21 victory.
"Great quarterbacks find a way to get it done. They don't make excuses," Kubiak said at the combine. "They find a way to bring people together. They find a way to get the best out of their players. That's obviously our job as coaches. But great [quarterbacks] rise to the top. So you're looking for that individual [who] can find a way, no matter the circumstances."
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MENDOZA HAS THE tools to develop into a franchise quarterback, but having a consistent run game will be essential to his success as a rookie and beyond. In fact, Kubiak's offense won't reach its full potential unless the rushing attack is up to par.
When Kubiak was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, Cousins had one of the best seasons of his career, throwing for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven picks. Minnesota also had a strong ground game, with running back Dalvin Cook totaling 1,159 yards and Alexander Mattison adding 491 yards.
During the Seahawks' recent Super Bowl run, Darnold and the rest of the offense benefited from a solid two-running back system of Kenneth Walker III (221 carries, 1,027 yards and five touchdowns) and Zach Charbonnet (184 carries, 730 yards and 12 touchdowns).
The Raiders, on the other hand, haven't had much success running the ball. Since 2024, they rank last in rushing yards per game (78.6). Las Vegas can change its fortunes by reinforcing a better run scheme and by leaning on second-year running back Ashton Jeanty and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum on the offensive line.
The Raiders also need to add another running back into the mix. They will have a chance to fill this need as they have nine picks after Day 1. Kaelon Black (Indiana), Roman Hemby (Indiana), J'Mari Taylor (Virginia) and Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) are potential options for Las Vegas.
Other priorities for the Raiders include getting a wide receiver who can fill the X role and be a red zone specialist, and figuring out their right tackle situation.
Filling out the defense should also be high on the Raiders' list. Last year, their offense's struggles were compounded by constantly playing from behind and having limited time to stage comebacks since the defense had a hard time getting off the field.
Strengthening the defense would be advantageous to Mendoza's transition into the league by preventing him from being placed in high-risk situations and decreasing the need for come-from-behind drives. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, for example, has been one of the better young quarterbacks in the league the past two seasons, throwing for 54 touchdowns and helping his team make back-to-back postseason appearances. Even so, Nix has benefited from playing alongside a top-three defense since he was drafted in 2024.
The Raiders made progress improving their defense in the offseason by signing linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker and edge rusher Kwity Paye. But they still need help in the secondary and at defensive tackle. Taking the best defensive player available in the second round could be a wise move unless a player like wide receiver Denzel Boston (Washington), wide receiver KC Concepcion (Texas A&M) or offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (Arizona State) falls to them at No. 36.
Perhaps the most important thing for Mendoza to have success in Year 1 is patience. And it appears Las Vegas has that, hence the signing of Cousins. General manager John Spytek and Kubiak have said that they don't believe in starting a young quarterback immediately because it takes time for some quarterbacks to adjust and learn how to break a huddle, play under center and call a cadence at the next level.
By bringing in Cousins, who is prepping for his 15th season in the NFL, the Raiders have insurance at the position in case Mendoza is not ready to play immediately. Cousins will also be a good mentor for Mendoza due to his experience with Kubiak, and the quarterbacks have similar play styles.
At the end of the day, Spytek said the best player will play.
The Raiders have enough draft capital to fill their needs and could very well trade back to acquire more picks in order to build a strong cast around Mendoza. On top of that, second-year players such as wide receivers Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech, guard Caleb Rogers and offensive tackle Charles Grant still have room to mature and gain game experience.
For a franchise that has cycled through multiple quarterbacks who haven't panned out, owner Mark Davis, Spytek, Kubiak and the Raiders are betting on Mendoza to elevate Las Vegas back into consistent postseason contention.
"When you can be patient, and we all understand there's not a ton of patience in the job that we chose here, but if you can find some level of patience and put people in positions when they're ready, that's the best way forward," Spytek said.