Barring something unexpected happening, Fernando Mendoza will be the no. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and the Raiders will take a quarterback in the first round for the first time since JaMarcus Russell.
Mendoza is a much different prospect that Russell was in 2007, but according to FOX Sports analyst Bucky Brooks, there are reasons to believe Mendoza might not be worthy of the no. 1 pick, either.
In a guest appearance on Jason Whitlock’s Fearless podcast, Brooks said he doesn’t believe Mendoza has the traits that some of the more recent first round quarterbacks possess…
“I don’t know if he can live up to the expectations that come along with being a number one overall pick or top five pick. And we had that conversation because the names that I brought up, I brought up Jared Goff, and people were like, ‘Well, yeah, he was number one overall.’ But then I also want to remind people how it was topsy-turvy for him in LA based on the expectations and based on what he brought to the table.
Sean McVay comes with a system and a coaching staff and an expertise that allowed Jerry Goff to go. But then remember, Sean McVay eventually moved off of him. He goes to Detroit and many people didn’t expect him to have the bounce back that he would have in Detroit based on when he was traded away and those things.
Maybe Mendoza has another gear to his game, but we don’t know. And the thing about some of the things that you can’t see on tape, just because it doesn’t show up on tape doesn’t mean that he can’t do it. It just means that we haven’t seen it…
When you take him number one overall, people are going to compare him to the young quarterbacks that we might have saw this weekend. Does he have the talent that matches the Caleb Williams? Can he play at an MVP level like Drake Maye?
Can he match what Jayden Daniels did as an Offensive Rookie of the Year there? What people will do is compare him to the historic quarterbacks that have gone number one. And I don’t know if he’s going to match up like those guys when it comes to a talent perspective.”
Brooks is in the minority on Mendoza, but he isn’t alone.
Two weeks ago, Bomani Jones shared a similar sentiment on Mendoza, adding that this year’s Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t look the part the way Cam Ward did a year ago.
“I got people asking me [about] Fernando Mendoza. Is he what the Raiders need and I watched Mendoza. We’ll talk a little bit more about that game, and Mendoza looks like something I’ve seen very many times, which is a very good college quarterback,” Jones said on The Right Time with Bomani Jones.
“I know what the no. 1 pick in the draft look like. That ain’t it. Even if you think Cam Ward’s not going to be that guy, you look at Cam Ward with the Titans and you’re like ‘That guy was the no. 1 pick in the draft.’ You see that.”
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how Mendoza is discussed leading up to the draft.
The overwhelming consensus is that he is the top quarterback in this year’s draft, but that isn’t a talking point that can fill three months of necessary content.
The conversation that can fill some of that time, though, is the trade value that will come with the first pick in this year’s draft.
It’s unlikely the Raiders will entertain offers for Mendoza, but it will be interesting to (hopefully) learn about some of the offers they receive… and compare to what the Titans were offered for the first pick a year ago.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants offered Tennessee two first-round picks for the no. 1 pick in 2025, and that’s a deal the Titans might wish they would have taken.
x: @raidersbeat
Bucky Brooks was dropped on his head as a baby. And he is racist. Mike drop
I am not sure what Bucky’s beef is with Mendoza. As a Cal Bear fan, I watched Mendoza for a bit when he red-shirted in ’22 and then a lot in ’23 and ’24 as Cal’s starting QB. He made great strides from ’23 to ’24, getting better as the season progressed in ’24, and then made huge progress again with Indiana. This tells me that he is very coachable, has no ego about his talent, and that he’s committed to football and has football smarts. He does not rest on his laurels or stick with bad habits but is invested in his team and wants to get better in every game. No one expects him to come in and be Mahomes or Allen. But we can predict that he will absorb the pro game like a sponge and strive to improve in every game while being a good leader and teammate.
BUCKY’S BEEN WRONG – THE RN – SHOWS YOU RIGHT
Bucky was a Raider and is pro Raiders, with all due respect to all of our own, Bucky also said we solved our QB quandry when we signed Geno Smith last year. (Raider Nation and only we are experts of our own team. ) RN was sounding the alarms regarding our Offensive Line and other key positions before the season even started last off season. (If John Spytek will have any success he will have to learn to listen to the RN.) Those who have did well, those who did not got washed out real fast and got to hear all the ” I told you so(s)” on out the door.
Look, they said the same thing about Jim Plunkett and Tom Brady all right. (Between the two of them they won: 12 AFC Championships and 9 Superbowls, a Heisman Trophy, a HOF Ring, a Rose Bowl and a California State High school football championship.) The Lord loves to take the humble and overlooked and turn them into champions and when he does they just win where ever they go by and through His grace. This untangible factor has and always will confound those who walk in their own proud imaginations as they do so in vain.
Fernando Mendoza is a Champion and he will be the first Quarterback we take in the draft that will be successful since we took Kenny Stabler in the second round of the 1969 draft.
WEST SIDE
RN
SINCE 1974
RACIST
These media folks have just gotten to the point that a QB isn’t worthy to be the no. 1 pick if he’s not the best athlete who just happens to play QB. They’ve moved on from the Peyton Manning’s of the world being the first QB picked. I’d rather have a QB who is less mobile, but can play the game from a higher mental level earlier instead of making one read then running.
Racism from black sportscasters for white Christian QBs is off the charts these days. BSPN should leave their leftist commie politics out. These black racists shouldn’t have a vkice.
I agree. Some black ppl just hate to see white ppl doing good or having any kind of success. Id take Mendoza over Cam Ward everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Ward may be the better athlete but thats not the only trait a qb needs to be the 1st overall pick. When it comes to throwing with accuracy and anticipation or reading a defense…to me Mendoza is clearly better at those things than Ward. And its not like Mendoza can’t pull it down and run for the first down or touchdown..Just go look at that running to Mendoza did in the championship game. Plus Mendoza is mentally better. Those that wanna compare Mendoza to previous first overall qb picked in the draft..Just compare their college stats. Mendoza just did something in college that either hasn’t never been done or been done in a long time. His stats improved every yr in college..he took a mediocre Indiana team before he arrived and within 2 yrs went unbeaten this yr while winning the championship, winning the Heisman along with sweeping every award in college given to the best QB. He did all that relatively easy too. I just have a gut feeling if Mendoza gets a good coach in the NFL…someone that can coach him up but also put him in a good position to where the OC is calling plays that he’s comfortable with and not putting to much on him all at once. So I hope we (Raiders) draft him 1st overall and have a coach in place that is known to bring out the best in QBs. Just look at Caleb Williams this yr with Ben Johnson compared to his rookie yr. He made tremendous improvements same for Sam Darnold…and Drake Maye. Those QBs along with many other QBs was once looking like bust or average QBs to where once they got a new Coach or signed with a team that has a good coach their level of play took off .so a QBs success in the NFL has a lot to do with who is coaching them.
To be fair if Bucky was a racist or a lefty I don’t think he would be on Jason Whitlocks podcast.
IMO I would take Mendoza over cam ward, Jj McCarthy, Michael Pinex,CJ Stroud and Goff…if they all was in the same draft. But to me a lot of a QBs success coming into the league depends on his coaches he’ll have in the NFL. I just dont believe how a QB can have tremendous amount of success in college but then go to the NFL and all a sudden he looks like he shouldn’t have been drafted period. Some guys are just mentally and physically ready to have success in the NFL. But those that have all the tools in college to be a first rounder but fail in the league..I feel is because they didn’t have a good enuff coach in NFL to coach them up. So Mendoza I feel is worthy of being the #1 pick but his success will have a lot to do with his coaches. Bomani Jones is just a racist hater IMO. Mendoza got better each yr in college..he’s got a great personality, loves the game..and the teammates around him..can make all the throws needed in the pros..he may not be a better athlete than Cam Ward but imo he’s a better thrower and better at reading a defense than ward. So I hope as a Raiders fan we draft him and we hire Davis Webb either as HC or OC.
I agree. Some black ppl just hate to see white ppl doing good or having any kind of success. Id take Mendoza over Cam Ward everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Ward may be the better athlete but thats not the only trait a qb needs to be the 1st overall pick. When it comes to throwing with accuracy and anticipation or reading a defense…to me Mendoza is clearly better at those things than Ward. And its not like Mendoza can’t pull it down and run for the first down or touchdown..Just go look at that running to Mendoza did in the championship game. Plus Mendoza is mentally better. Those that wanna compare Mendoza to previous first overall qb picked in the draft..Just compare their college stats. Mendoza just did something in college that either hasn’t never been done or been done in a long time. His stats improved every yr in college..he took a mediocre Indiana team before he arrived and within 2 yrs went unbeaten this yr while winning the championship, winning the Heisman along with sweeping every award in college given to the best QB. He did all that relatively easy too. I just have a gut feeling if Mendoza gets a good coach in the NFL…someone that can coach him up but also put him in a good position to where the OC is calling plays that he’s comfortable with and not putting to much on him all at once. So I hope we (Raiders) draft him 1st overall and have a coach in place that is known to bring out the best in QBs. Just look at Caleb Williams this yr with Ben Johnson compared to his rookie yr. He made tremendous improvements same for Sam Darnold…and Drake Maye. Those QBs along with many other QBs was once looking like bust or average QBs to where once they got a new Coach or signed with a team that has a good coach their level of play took off .so a QBs success in the NFL has a lot to do with who is coaching them.
Who cares, Fred Flintstone would be better than what we have now!
I think Mendoza will do just fine, IF—-IF the Raiders are smart enough to put in an offensive line that can play and protect him. All the teams mentioned here from C. Williams, Drake Maye and so on have all been the recipients of
a good offensive front. The Raiders have weapons, they have receivers, & Running backs, they need to spend and build an offensive line! If they take any of those QB’s or trade for an elite qb, and do not fix the O line, they will be no further ahead than they were this past year! That is my opinion!
Drake Mayes offensive line sucks at pass protection. That phony season they’re having will come crashing down this weekend or at the Super Bowl. Either way the patsies season will be ending in a humiliating loss. Can’t wait.