It’s Mendoza mania in Las Vegas as the expectation is that the Las Vegas Raiders will be using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza in just a few months. Obviously, that’s one of the big topics for this week’s mailbag, and we’ll also touch on the head coach search, free agency and the offseason as a whole. Let’s get to it!
A: Keeping in mind that this is how I viewed/graded them as prospects and not factoring in how they’ve performed as pros, here’s how I’d rank the last three quarterback classes.
- Drake Maye
- Caleb Williams
- Fernando Mendoza
- Jayden Daniels
- Cam Ward
- JJ McCarthy
- Bo Nix
- Michael Penix
Admittedly, I was way too low on Daniels. Looking back on it, I overthought his evaluation and should have just stuck to what Daniels showed during his last season at LSU. So, I wouldn’t argue against anyone who has Daniels over Mendoza.
Maye and Williams definitely had more talent than Mendoza, and I don’t mean that as a slight against Mendoza. Those other two were just really athletic and had very good arm talent. I’d have a hard time putting any quarterback prospect in the last five to ten draft classes ahead of them. Plus, I thought Maye was a better processor than people gave him credit for coming out of North Carolina.
I’ve been saying this since about November; I feel like people are underselling Mendoza as a prospect. He may not be a physical freak, but he’s athletic enough, has plenty of arm strength, is extremely accurate and great at picking apart coverages. I’ve fallen victim to this too, so I understand it, but I feel like we fall in love with the first two traits mentioned and forget that the last two are actually more important when it comes to playing the position.
Q: Who is your pick in the draft, or would you want to trade down?
A: Fernando Mendoza V. And then in another 20 to 30 years, Fernando Mendoza VI.
Jokes aside, the Raiders are finally in a spot where they have a chance to draft a franchise quarterback, and it’s time to take advantage of that situation. As bad as the Raiders have been in the last 20 years, this is only the second time they’ve picked No. 1 overall. It would take a blockbuster trade for me to even entertain the idea of moving out of this spot.
Q: I’m making you the Raiders GM for a minute. I’m the Jets or Browns, and I call you up and offer you as many as five first and second round picks for this year and 2027. Don’t you have to make that trade for the long-term future of the Raiders and forget about Mendoza?
A: Speaking of, if it’s five first- and second-round picks, okay, now I’m listening. That’s about the same as what the Bears got for the 2023 No. 1 pick/Bryce Young. The Panthers sent them DJ Moore (who had three 1,000-yard seasons in five years at the time), 2023 first- and second-rounders, a 2024 first-round pick (which ended up being No. 1 overall) and a 2025 second-round pick.
However, I don’t think that would be a reasonable expectation for Las Vegas to receive. Carolina was going from nine to one, while New York would be moving up one spot and Cleveland owns the sixth pick. Plus, the Bears have clearly won that trade, so I’d have a hard time seeing another team be willing to make the same deal. And if they are, that should tell you something about how the league views Mendoza compared to how the national media does…
A: Well, Indiana has had 17-0 and 35-0 at halftime in those two games. So, yeah, they did run the ball more because they didn’t need throw it anymore. LOL! Also, Mendoza has had 14 carries in those two games, so it’s not like he’s been completely removed from the offense. If you want a stat from the CFP to ease your concerns, he’s thrown more touchdown passes (eight) than incompletions (five).
The narrative that the Hoosiers are a powerhouse is a funny one to me. Indiana has been known as one of the worst Power 4/5 programs in College Football, and Curt Cignetti’s thing is that he wins with players that the big programs pass on. Yes, Indiana was in the playoffs last year without Mendoza. But they were also considered frauds after losing by multiple possessions to the two best teams they played: Ohio State by 23 and Notre Dame by 10.
Then, the Hoosiers add Mendoza, and they’re one win away from winning a National Championship after dominating in their first two playoff games. If you’re concerned about his ability to put the team on his back, watch the second halves against Iowa, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State in the Big Ten championship from this season. The guy has come up big when his team needed it most all year.
Q: It seems like Fernando Mendoza is a done deal with the 1st pick- and I am all for it, considering he’s a fellow 305’er and most importantly an incredibly smart, talented, and humble kid. All that being said, how would you feel about redshirting him in his first year?
A: I’d have absolutely no problem with that.
I cut down the question here for some brevity, and this person also mentioned that the Raiders have issues with the offensive line and could use a go-to receiver on top of other holes on the roster. I know that has been mentioned as a reason to trade the pick because any quarterback would have trouble finding success with the Raiders’ lack of a strong supporting cast, and I agree that it’s an adverse situation. But that argument kind of contradicts itself.
It’s basically saying that Las Vegas is looking at a multi-year rebuild, so why are we concerned with how successful the team is in 2026? Why not get a long-term answer at the most important position on the field, especially when the organization is in a position to get the top guy in the class? To reiterate, you never know when you’ll be in this position again. And don’t get me started on the whole “next year’s quarterback class is better” discourse. I remember hearing that last year about this year’s class.
Long story short, get Mendoza now and don’t rush him onto the field. Next year probably isn’t going to be pretty anyway, so be patient with the quarterback before throwing him to the wolves. Plus, the Raiders have free agency, the rest of the 2026 draft and the 2027 offseason to fix the supporting cast if we’re keeping the big picture in mind.
I think the situation the Raiders are in right now is similar to what the Patriots faced heading into 2024. New England took Maye at No. 3, had a bad offensive line and wide receiver corps, so they opted not to start him until Week 6. That was even a little early, in my opinion, but they let Maye work through the rookie struggles, and now the guy is an MVP candidate in year two. That’s the formula I think Las Vegas should follow with Mendoza.
Q: Why keep Geno Smith instead of Aidan O’Connell as QB2?
A: I wouldn’t, LOL! Building on my answer above, the Raiders could easily make O’Connell the bridge quarterback. They can pitch it to AOC, as he might not have a future here, but this is his opportunity to show the rest of the league that he can be a starter before hitting free agency in the offseason. That buys Mendoza some time, and moving on from Smith clears $8 million of cap space to build out the rest of the roster.
A: A few free-agent offensive linemen that I have my eyes on are: G Alijah Vera-Tucker, G David Edwards, C Tyler Linderbaum and G Ed Ingram. The offensive tackle class isn’t very inspiring, but Braden Smith or Jermaine Eluemunor could be good short-term options at right tackle.
Wide receiver has a few interesting free agents, as I’m sure the entire NFL will be paying attention to what the Cowboys do with George Pickens. Also, Wan’Dale Robinson, Alec Pierce, Romeo Doubs and Rahid Shaheed could be on the table. If the Raiders hire Klint Kubiak, look for them to go after Shaheed. Those two worked together in New Orleans, and Kubiak was part of the reason the Seahawks traded for Shaheed at the deadline.
Q: Will Charles Grant be able to push for RT next year? I think this OL can be a lot better with a real OL coach and maybe just need to add 1 starter in free agency.
A: This is the problem with him not really seeing the field this season. I think Grant could push DJ Glaze for the starting right tackle job, but the sample size isn’t anywhere close to big enough to leave it to those two. I’d still look into bringing in some competition, with the hope that the third-round pick proves himself in training camp.
Q: Who do you like for the Raiders’ other draft picks? I know you like the DL from Ohio State, but who else?
A: I’ll dive into the second round options more as we get closer to the draft and have a little more clarity on who is going to be available in that range. Kayden McDonald (the OSU defensive tackle mentioned) is very high on my list, though I get the feeling he’s going in round one the more I watch him.
To give y’all a few other names to keep tabs on for now: Georgia LB CJ Allen, Georgia DT Christen Miller, Clemson Edge T.J. Parker, Oregon G Emmanuel Pregnon and Oregon S Dillon Thieneman.
Q: Matt, there’s a lot of talk about the Raiders getting an offensive or defensive head coach. I think they’ll go after an offensive coach like Klint Kubiak. If they do go offensive HC, who are the top defensive coordinator candidates we can pair our coach with?
A: If Kubiak is the next head coach, one defensive coordinator candidate I’d have my eye on is 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. I don’t know how close they are, but they worked together in San Francisco three years ago. Kocurek is a well-respected defensive line coach, but hasn’t gotten an opportunity to prove himself as a defensive coordinator yet. Knowing his reputation in the league, I’d be intrigued by giving him a shot to call the defense and bring over Robert Saleh’s scheme.
Steve Wilks would be another option, as he was also with the 49ers in 2023. Wilks got fired by Kyle Shanahan for “philosophical differences”, but San Francisco had the third-ranked defense in points allowed that year. This past season was ugly for Wilks, but the Jets also traded their two best defensive players (Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner) at the deadline.
Additionally, the Raiders have a couple of in-house candidates who could be considered for the DC job, as they worked with Kubiak in New Orleans. Marcus Robertson, current defensive backs coach, and Joe Woods, defensive passing game coordinator and also a DBs coach. Robertson has never been a coordinator, while Woods has the experience but a so-so resume with three units that finished in the top half of the league for points allowed in seven seasons.
Someone else asked about the young head coach candidates, Davis Webb and Nate Scheelhaase. To be honest, I don’t have a good answer for those guys. They’re so young that they don’t have strong networks in the NFL. That’s part of the reason why I’d be nervous about hiring Webb or Scheelhaase. I can also see up-and-coming defensive coordinator candidates not wanting to hitch their wagons to a young head coach that the Raiders are taking a flier on, especially if those candidates are currently in good situations.
Q: Is it likely that the Raiders choose a head coach without experience as a coordinator or a head coach? Are those interviews really for coordinator positions?
A: Building on that, I think it’s pretty unlikely that the Raiders hire a coach without coordinator experience. A lack of head coach experience shouldn’t be a hurdle, but not even being responsible for an entire side of the ball could or should be a deterrent.
Especially with Webb and Scheelhaase, it’s telling that Las Vegas also requested to interview the defensive coordinators that these two are currently working with, Vance Joseph and Chris Shula. To me, that signals the meetings with the young guys were more about gauging them as offensive coordinators rather than being legitimate head coach candidates.
Q: I really like the combination of Brian Flores as our HC and Brian Daboll as our OC. I like Flores’s aggressive defensive nature, and I think Daboll would be perfect for Mendoza. What would your ideal combination be?
A: I’m out on Flores with how he handled Tua Tagovailoa as a rookie quarterback. I can understand tough love from a coach, but constantly telling the future of the franchise that you wanted to draft someone else is going beyond hard coaching. That’s just being a dick. Yes, people can change. But I heard the same thing about Josh McDaniels, and look how that turned out. Let another team take the risk with Flores.
I’m still hopeful for the combination of Shula and Mike LaFleur, as I really like what the Rams have done over the last few years. I’d also be pretty excited with Kubiak or Kevin Stefanski to throw a couple of offensive minds out there.
A: I think the odds are pretty low. Cignetti and Indiana agreed to a contract extension in October that pays him $11.6 million per year. Granted, there is a clause in it where the school either has to make him a top-three highest-paid coach in college football in about four months or his buyout drops to zero (h/t: The Athletic’s Chris Vannini).
However, I don’t see Indiana not doing that, especially if they win the National Championship on Monday. Also, Cignetti turns 65 in June and has only coached in college, so I don’t think he’d be that motivated to go to the NFL at this stage in his career.
A: I’d definitely be up for Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. He’s a creative play-caller who does some interesting stuff in the run game, and he’s been credited with helping the 49ers’ passing game when he was the team’s run game coordinator. McDaniel is a sharp offensive mind who, in my opinion, is a classic good coordinator but bad head coach. If Robert Saleh gets the job, I’d hope Saleh brings McDaniel to Vegas.
That’s a cool anecdote about Mike Tomlin! I’ve heard nothing but good things about him as a person.
Q: How in the hell did John Spytek allow Miami to steal Cam Miller, and how do you feel about him now as GM? I think he either wasted a draft choice on him (and Tommy Mellott) or he is incompetent and asleep at the wheel for allowing him to be poached, especially with Geno sidelined?
A: I hear ya, because the Raiders easily could have protected Miller by putting Geno on IR and elevating the rookie to the active roster for Week 18. That being said, the fact that they didn’t could tell us something about how Miller looked in practice and how the organization viewed his future.
I’m still optimistic about Spytek. I liked his press conference at the end of the year where he owned up to and admitted making some mistakes last season, i.e. letting too many free agents walk. I respect that and feel like a lot of people in his position wouldn’t admit that publicly.
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Of course, talk is cheap and the results need to improve. I’m just not going to write off a general manager after one offseason, and let’s see if the 2025 draft class can be better with a coach that actually plays them and doesn’t hire his son to lead the offensive line.
That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to [email protected] or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
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