With the Las Vegas Raiders moving up the board in the NFL Draft order in Week 14, they are starting to get heavily linked to quarterbacks. Right now, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza appears to be the favorite to be the player taken at No. 1.
Mendoza just led Indiana to an upset win over Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship Game, and after the game, he gave an interview that went viral. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby spoke about the video and shared his admiration for the young quarterback.
“That might have been the funniest interview of all time,” Crosby said of Mendoza on “The Rush.” “And I’m not gonna lie, bro, I was in tears laughing. I am a fan of him now. … He gave me big Jameis Winston vibes. He’s a baller, he’s gonna win the Heisman.”
Some people made fun of Mendoza for his perceived corniness in the interview, but corny doesn’t mean bad. Based on Crosby’s comments, it doesn’t sound like he’d hate the idea of playing with him next season. If the Raiders keep losing, there’s a very good chance the two will be teammates in 2026.
Is Mendoza Going to Win the Heisman?
As Crosby alluded to, Mendoza has become the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this year. He’s not having the historic season we’ve seen from previous quarterbacks to win the award, but he’s been the best quarterback in the country.
Pro Football Focus’s Max Chadwick predicted that Mendoza would take home the award.
“Mendoza led Indiana to a perfect 13-0 record which included a Big Ten Championship and the first No. 1 ranking in program history,” Chadwick wrote. “The California transfer’s 33 touchdown passes lead the FBS, while his 126.7 passer rating is second.
“Mendoza saved his best for last, posting a career-high 92.3 PFF grade against top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. He will likely be Indiana’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner.”
Is Mendoza the Right Fit for Raiders?
The last six quarterbacks to win the Heisman Trophy were top-two draft picks. The last 14 quarterbacks to win were first-round picks. Mendoza is going to be a first-round pick if he declares for the 2026 NFL Draft.
That said, is he worthy of the No. 1 pick? There’s a lot to like about Mendoza’s game. He’s a very smart player, he’s 6-foot-5, he’s clearly a strong leader and the team that drafts him will never have to worry about off-the-field issues.
The major knock on him is that he’s not a great athlete. He’s not going to make plays with his feet. The Raiders haven’t embraced a mobile quarterback in a long time, and might want somebody who can make plays out of nothing. At the same time, Mendoza is clearly an adult and the type of person you want to build your franchise around.
If the Raiders get the No. 1 pick, they might feel pressure to address the quarterback need. Mendoza might never be a top-five quarterback, but he could certainly be a top-10 one. He’s more in the mold of CJ Stroud or Jared Goff than Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. Considering the Raiders have gotten some terrible quarterback play in recent years, they’d be more than happy to have Stroud or Goff-level play.
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