The Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock, and while we’re still months away from the 2026 NFL Draft, the conversation around the No. 1 overall pick is already laser-focused. All signs point to one name: Fernando Mendoza.
This isn’t just another quarterback prospect we’re talking about. Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is widely viewed as a generational talent - the kind of player who can reset the trajectory of a franchise. And for a Raiders team that’s been searching for stability under center since the Derek Carr and Jon Gruden era, the timing couldn’t be better.
Around the league, Mendoza is drawing near-universal praise. He’s not just the top quarterback in the draft - many believe he’s the best overall player, period. Analysts, insiders, and even voices inside the Raiders’ own orbit are making it clear: this is the guy.
On his Raider Nation Radio show, longtime team insider JT the Brick didn’t mince words when talking about Mendoza’s value.
“There’s not a better quarterback. There’s not a better player,” JT said.
“He’s the Heisman Trophy winner. Forget about the national championship game - even if he has a bad one, he’s still the best player in the country.
He’s battle-tested. He’s got the character.
He’s the pick.”
That last line says it all - “He’s the pick.” And while JT stopped short of saying the Raiders should already be mailing in the draft card, the message was clear: barring something extraordinary, Mendoza is destined to wear silver and black.
Of course, this is the NFL, and nothing is ever set in stone - especially when it comes to the No. 1 pick. Trade offers are inevitable, and JT acknowledged that there’s always a chance the Raiders could get blown away by a deal they simply can’t refuse. But what kind of offer would that even look like?
Recent history tells us that three first-round picks haven’t been enough to pry away top quarterback prospects. That was true for Caleb Williams and Jaden Daniels. So would a team like the Jets - desperate for a franchise quarterback and a culture reboot - be willing to offer four first-rounders and a player to move up just one spot?
JT doesn’t think so. And even if they did, he said he’d turn it down.
“If the Jets want to offer three first-round picks, plus a player, I would turn that down,” he said. “Because that would be admitting the Jets will have the next great quarterback - and the Raiders passed on him. I wouldn’t do that.”
That kind of conviction speaks volumes, especially when you consider the context. A trade down to No. 2 would still leave the Raiders in position to draft a top-tier player, but with Oregon’s Dante Moore announcing his return to school, the gap between Mendoza and the next-best quarterback prospect just got a lot wider.
And let’s be honest - this isn’t just about who’s available. It’s about what Mendoza represents.
He’s the kind of leader, competitor, and playmaker who could anchor a franchise for the next decade. For a Raiders team that’s been stuck in quarterback purgatory for too long, that kind of upside is hard to pass up.
Internally, there were mixed emotions about how the season ended. According to JT, there were people inside the organization - including ownership - who genuinely wanted to win down the stretch.
And that’s understandable. No one inside the building is wired to root for losses, even if the long-term reward is a shot at a player like Mendoza.
But for fans who’ve been craving a true franchise quarterback, the end result is exactly what they hoped for: the No. 1 pick, and a clear path to draft the most promising quarterback prospect in years.
“You got the No. 1 pick,” JT said. “It’s not guaranteed you’re going to keep it, but this is what you wanted.”
He added that he understands the fan base’s excitement - even if it comes with a touch of sarcasm about the social media crowd who celebrated the draft positioning like a playoff win.
“All the comedians, all the improvisors, all the influencers, all the comedy guys - you all wanted this. You got it. This is what you wanted.”
And now, the Raiders have a decision to make. It’s not about whether Mendoza is good enough - that much seems settled. It’s about whether they’re ready to commit to a new era, to finally invest in a quarterback who can lead them into the future.
If the answer is yes, then come April, expect to hear Fernando Mendoza’s name called first.