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Raiders Mailbag: Exploring hypothetical scenarios for the No. 1 pick

Feb 04, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

Bill Althouse from Pennsylvania asks:

"Is there any reason why the Raiders would not draft Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?"

The only scenario I'd foresee in which the Raiders don't select Mendoza first overall is if they no longer hold that pick.

As I mentioned in last week's Mailbag, the Raiders have a lot of needs. While drafting a potential franchise quarterback would help, it certainly won't solve all of their problems. The team still needs to beef up the receiving corps and offensive line after finishing with the least amount of points scored and least total yardage of any offense in the league.

Hypothetically, Las Vegas could seek out a king's ransom for the coveted No. 1 pick and stack up draft picks for this year and next. Behind Mendoza, there's a lot of first-round talent that could make an immediate impact for the Raiders. A few names that comes to mind are receivers Carnell Tate from Ohio State and Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State, and offensive tackles Spencer Fano from Utah and Miami's Francis Mauigoa.

You also have to take into account that the 2027 draft class will feature highly touted quarterback prospects like Arch Manning, LaNorris Sanders and Dante Moore. So acquiring a pick for next year could put the Raiders in contention for one of those quarterbacks as well.

But this is all just to play devil's advocate, of course.

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Sho from California asks:

"Josh Allen had lots of questions when he came out about maturity and his arm strength. Based on size, height and many similarities – can you see Mendoza having a similar future as Allen?"

At the 2017 NFL Combine, Josh Allen was recorded to be 6-foot-5, 237 pounds. Fernando Mendoza is currently listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds.

While sharing extremely similar physical attributes, Mendoza and Allen seem to be vastly different quarterbacks.

Allen was considered a project at quarterback with concerns about his accuracy, having completing 56.2 percent of his passes at Wyoming. What made him stand out was his elite athleticism at his size. He clocked a 4.7 40-yard dash speed at the Combine and rushed for 767 yards and 12 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He also showcased glimpses of the big arm strength he's notable for in the league now, as he ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 6 nationally in passing yards per completion (15.33 yards) in 2016.

As for Mendoza, he considered a more developed passer and decision maker. While leading Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season and their first national championship, the quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns, completing 72 percent of his passes. His mobility shouldn't be a concern either, with 11 rushing touchdowns in three collegiate seasons.

The Buffalo Bills took a shot on Josh Allen with their first-round pick in 2018 and started to collect their return on investment by his third season in the league with a NFL MVP runner-up campaign. With that being said, even though Mendoza seems more NFL ready coming out of college, the Raiders need to have the same patience with Mendoza's development if he's selected first overall.

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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) celebrates with running back Ashton Jeanty (2) after making a catch during the preseason home game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.