The Las Vegas Raiders moved up to No. 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft order after Week 14, according to Tankathon. The New York Giants are the one team ahead of them, but the two teams play in Week 17.
The Raiders could control their destiny for the No. 1 pick as long as the current tiebreakers hold. The team really needs a quarterback after the Geno Smith experiment has been a failure. There’s been a lot of debate about who the top quarterback in the 2026 class is, but it looks like one player has separated himself.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza has helped lead the Hoosiers to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. With a recent win over Ohio State, Mendoza has caught a lot of attention. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic put together a mock draft, and he predicts the Raiders to take Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.
“Mendoza’s performance against Ohio State was a really good indicator of where he is right now as a player,” Baumgardner wrote. “He still has room for growth on third down and with his processing, but he’s at his best when it’s needed.
“It’s not hard to squint and see a more athletic version of Jared Goff here, though, even if it takes Mendoza a little time to play anywhere near that level in the NFL. His relentless positivity as a leader might not be for everyone, but it’s also the sort of infectious attitude many in football come to love.”
Mendoza Has Been Getting Help
Since Indiana isn’t a traditional football power, Mendoza gets a lot of credit for helping turn the team into a powerhouse this year, but the program has a lot of good pieces in place that have made life easy for the quarterback.
“Mendoza’s numbers are all pretty good, but context is important — Indiana’s offense takes incredibly good care of him,” Baumgardner wrote. “As with Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Mendoza’s play caller and head coach are an elite battery, and his run game keeps him out of dangerous situations more than most college passers. When he’s faced with difficult third-and-long spots, and defenses start mixing coverage, he can get hesitant. I love (Dane Brugler’s) Jared Goff comparison for Mendoza, but right now, Mendoza reminds me of where Goff was before he gained confidence ripping the ball into tight windows on critical downs.
“This is kind of a nitpick, as Mendoza hangs in there better than most. But we’re talking about a potential No. 1 pick, so the discussion’s different. Still, as with Cam Ward last season, Mendoza improved from wire to wire this season, and there’s no reason to think that can’t continue in the NFL.”
Is Mendoza Worthy of No. 1 Pick?
There is a lot to like about Mendoza. He’s big, he has a good arm and is a really smart football player. That said, he doesn’t have a ton of athletic ability, and there’s no evidence that he can overcome a dysfunctional setup.
The Raiders are one of the most dysfunctional franchises in sports, so it could take a generational-type quarterback to turn them around. Mendoza is good, but he’s definitely not generational. If the Raiders decide to address other needs at the top of the draft and wait to address the quarterback issue next year, it’d be hard to blame them.
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