Derek Carr on Raiders' No. 1 Pick: Draft Fernando Mendoza - But Protect Him
Derek Carr isn’t here to play coy. As the Raiders sit atop the 2026 NFL Draft board with the No. 1 overall pick, the franchise’s all-time passing leader has a clear message: take Fernando Mendoza. But don’t stop there - build the wall around him, too.
Carr joined his brother David on the “Home Grown” show and took the opportunity to clear up what he sees as a growing misconception. “They said that I said they shouldn’t take him,” Carr explained. “I said they shouldn’t take him unless they fix everything else.”
That’s not backpedaling - it’s nuance. Carr is all in on Mendoza’s talent. “For the record, he should absolutely be the first overall pick,” he said.
And what sealed the deal for Carr? A single play that spoke volumes.
In the national championship game against Miami, Indiana faced a fourth-and-4 deep in the red zone. The call: quarterback draw.
The result: Mendoza spun through contact, lunged forward, and punched it into the end zone. That moment - grit, poise, and sheer will - was all Carr needed to see.
“I want to see him in silver and black so bad,” Carr said, emotion pouring through. But he didn’t stop there.
Carr, who’s taken more than his share of hits in a Raiders uniform, knows what happens when a young quarterback is thrown into the fire without the right protection. “I don’t want to see him get beat down,” he said.
“Even when his lip got bloody [against Miami], I was sad… Don’t touch him. I felt like my child was hurt.”
That’s not just quarterback empathy - that’s lived experience. Carr’s message is simple: draft the quarterback, then do right by him.
“Everybody needs help,” he said, pointing to the likes of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. “Help your young quarterbacks.
Help your star quarterbacks. Help him out.
And then let’s see what happens.”
Why Mendoza Deserves the Spotlight
If you’re wondering why Mendoza is even in this conversation, look no further than his resume. He didn’t just lead Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season - he capped it with a national title win over Miami, 27-21, on the road at Hard Rock Stadium.
And that game-winning fourth-down scramble? That wasn’t a fluke. It was the culmination of a season full of moments where Mendoza proved he’s more than just a stat sheet.
Still, the numbers are eye-popping. Mendoza completed 72% of his passes this season - 273 of 379 - for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
He added 276 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Over three seasons between Cal and Indiana, he’s thrown for 8,247 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 22 picks.
But ask anyone in Bloomington, and they’ll tell you it’s not just the numbers. It’s the fire.
“Fernando has the heart of a lion when it comes to competition,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said after the title game. Mendoza, ever the team-first guy, deflected the praise.
“I trusted my linemen, and everybody in that entire offense, that entire team had a gritty performance,” he said.
Why Carr’s Words Matter in This Conversation
Carr isn’t just another former player giving hot takes from the sidelines. He was the Raiders’ quarterback for nine seasons. He knows the landscape, the expectations, and the pitfalls better than anyone.
Since the team benched him late in the 2022 season, the Raiders have gone 15-38. Quarterback play has been a revolving door.
Carr still holds the franchise records for completions (3,201), attempts (4,958), yards (35,222), and touchdowns (217). When he talks about what it takes to thrive in silver and black, it’s not theory - it’s experience.
So when Carr says he wants Mendoza to be the guy, it’s not just a vote of confidence. It’s a challenge to the Raiders’ front office.
Don’t just hand the rookie the keys - give him a car that runs. “I also want them to do so much around him that when he walks in there, he’s the greatest Raider of all time,” Carr said.
Bottom Line
Carr’s message is crystal clear: Fernando Mendoza has the talent to be a franchise cornerstone. But talent alone doesn’t win in the NFL - support does.
If the Raiders are serious about turning the page and building something lasting, it starts with drafting Mendoza. Then it’s about making sure he’s not doing it alone.
Because if they get it right, Carr believes Mendoza could be the one to finally bring sustained success back to the desert. And that’s a future worth building.