The Raiders dropped another close one to the Broncos in Week 14, falling 24-17 in a game that was competitive to the end but ultimately left Las Vegas sitting at 2-11. And while the loss stings, there’s a silver lining for a team clearly shifting focus toward the future: the Raiders now hold the No. 2 spot in the real-time 2026 NFL Draft order.
That jump in draft position came thanks to upset wins by the Saints and Titans, which shuffled the draft deck in a major way. The New York Giants now sit atop the board at No. 1, but with Jaxson Dart already in place under center, they may not be in the market for a quarterback-at least not in the traditional sense. That opens the door for a potential trade or, more intriguingly for Las Vegas, a shot at one of the top quarterback prospects in the class.
Right now, the Raiders are the highest-drafting team with a clear need at quarterback. And if you’re looking for a name to watch, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza just put himself firmly on the radar.
Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a stunning upset over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, a win that not only gave Indiana its first conference title since 1945 but also locked them in as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. That’s uncharted territory for the program-and Mendoza was at the center of it all.
He finished the game 15-of-23 for 222 yards, a touchdown, and one interception. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
Mendoza delivered in the moments that mattered most, showing poise under pressure and a knack for keeping the offense moving when the stakes were highest. It was the kind of performance that turns heads in NFL front offices, especially for a team like the Raiders that’s in the market for a long-term answer at quarterback.
So while the loss to Denver may have been another tough pill to swallow for Raiders fans, the implications of this weekend could loom large in April. With the No. 2 pick in hand and a quarterback class starting to take shape, the road to a franchise reset might just be getting clearer.