It was already looking like the Las Vegas Raiders would select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, but there have to be far fewer doubts after his impressive performance against Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The Heisman Trophy winner completed 17-of-20 passes and threw five touchdown passes.
He outperformed Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in a major way, which was the only other quarterback in the running to be the No. 1 pick. Unless Mendoza falls apart in the National Championship, the Raiders can rest easy knowing they have their quarterback of the future.
Nobody on the team is going to be more excited than the pass catcher. The Raiders’ quarterback play has been very poor for a few years now, so it’s difficult for wide receivers to catch a lot of balls.
Phillip Dorsett, who recently signed a Reserve/Future contract with the team, shared a reaction to a clip praising Mendoza’s game against Oregon.
At least Dorsett has taken notice of how good Mendoza is, and it’s likely that many players on the Raiders’ roster watched the game closely. There’s still a long process that needs to play out, but so far, Mendoza is passing every test with flying colors.
Mendoza Helping Raiders Before He Even Gets Drafted
An underrated aspect of Mendoza looking like a future star quarterback in the College Football Playoff is that it makes the Raiders’ head coaching opening much more appealing. If it were a bad quarterback draft, the team might have the worst opening of any head coaching job right now.
The Raiders keep firing head coaches, and the roster is one of the weakest in the NFL. However, the allure of being able to draft and develop Mendoza has to be exciting for some of the better offensive-minded candidates.
Mendoza isn’t just a great talent, but he’s beloved by coaches and teammates. He’s a very smart player who is currently studying to get his MBA despite being only 22. Any coach has to love the idea of being able to work with him.
Is Mendoza to Raiders a Done Deal?
Raiders general manager John Spytek attended the Oregon vs. Indiana game, so he was able to get an up-close look at Moore and Mendoza. Considering how thoroughly Mndoza outplayed Moore, it’s hard to imagine Spytek will easily forget that.
As the pre-draft process goes on, there are always curveballs and drama. Anything can happen, but Mendoza isn’t the type to perform poorly in pre-draft interviews. It’s more likely that he helps make the Raiders’ decision easier.
