The Raiders have the no. 1 pick in the 2026 draft and while it’s only the second week of February, it seems like everyone already knows who they are going to pick.
The Raiders have been desperate for a quarterback since Derek Carr and Jon Gruden were in the building and Fernando Mendoza looks to be a generational quarterback entering the draft at a perfect time for the Raiders.
Just about every media personality and draft analyst not focused on clicks is pointing to Mendoza as the best quarterback in the 2026 draft and even one of the prominent hosts on the Raiders’ flagship radio station said this week that Mendoza is the obvious pick at no. 1.
From ‘JT the Brick’ on his Raider Nation Radio show on Monday…
“There’s not a better quarterback [in the draft]. There’s not a better player. There’s not a better defensive player. There’s not a better offensive lineman. There’s not a better player than Fernando. He’s the Heisman Trophy winner. Forget about this national championship game. If he has a bad game, he’s the best player in the country. He’s battle-tested. He’s got the character. He’s the pick. He’s the pick.
Now, I’m not going to say send the card in. You know, FedEx the card to Pittsburgh now. I’m not going to be a clickbait guy. But I think you’ll understand where I stand with this guy. I have to leave the door open for a number of reasons.
Number one, I got to do radio shows up until mid-April. I just can’t come in here every day and go, Fernando, Fernando, I’ll be done by Wednesday of this week. I’ll have nothing left. I’m not going to do that. But what I’ll do is the only other way he’s not the quarterback of the Raiders is if the Raiders decide they get an offer they can’t refuse. That’s it.
I don’t know what that offer could be. The last couple of years, three first round picks, three, was not good enough to get Caleb Williams or Jaden Daniels. I don’t think anybody’s going to offer four first round picks for Fernando. I think the max of that ceiling will be three. The Jets are the obvious team that would want Fernando Mendoza for a completely new culture change in New York…
John Spytek and Tom Brady, if they get a call from the Jets, and the Jets want to offer three first-round picks, plus a player, I would turn that down. I would turn it down because that would be admitting that the Jets will have an opportunity to have the next great quarterback and the Raiders passed on him. I wouldn’t do that.”
Safe to say, JT understands the value of the no. 1 pick in this year’s draft because a trade with the Jets would only move the Raiders down to the no. 2 pick, where they would, in theory, get the second-best player in the draft – which we now know isn’t going to be Dante Moore, who announced on Wednesday he is returning to Oregon.
Three first-round picks and a player is an unprecedented return for a trade that would move the Raiders down only one spot in the draft.
Because of his position with the organization, it’s understandable that JT wouldn’t root for the Raiders to lose games, but for everyone on the outside who has been starving for a generational quarterback, there was never any shame in rooting for the long-term success of the organization at the expense of a meaningless game in December.
Mendoza has talked at length about delayed gratification and based on JT’s comments two weeks ago, that’s what the veteran radio voice will be getting in April when the Raiders turn in the card for Mendoza with the first pick in the draft…
“I talked to a number of people around the Raider organization that wanted to win [in week 17], you know who they are, including the owner. Because part of this deal about lighting the torch is my wife was able to sit with the owner, which was really cool, and he wanted to win really bad, and everybody wanted to win who’s involved in wearing the colors on game day.
But we know what you think and you want the no. 1 pick and now you got it. Hey Raider Nation, you got the no. 1 pick… it’s not guaranteed you’re going to keep it. You’ve got the Chiefs coming to town… So this is what you wanted. 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. You got it. I’m going to get out of your way…
I’m not the headliner at the chuckle hut. If you want to go down this road and you want the no. 1 pick and you’re gaining followers and subscribers and you love it, hallelujah! I want everybody to do well. I just told you I’ve got gratitude. I lit the torch. Kind of like a drop the mic thing for me, so I’m good.”
x: @raidersbeat
The best I can expect from Tom Brady is that he brings in Bernie Kozar. Ie: Zero faith in Brady
Maybe the Raiders will bring back Gruden-as the back up quarterback. Go Dayton.
Brick head?
Lololololololololol
I’d take 3 first round picks in a heartbeat
your crazy too.. how many 1st rd picks change a franchise without a great QB ?? none
You have a small thinking mind. Do you think those future first round draft picks, like for next year Arch Manning declares for the draft will acquire him?? And if you think Mendoza is better than him at the pro level, you have no clue.. and with all those pics, in this draft, we build the offensive line for him. But but all you Mendoza fans want check down Charlie. A guy who operates out a shotgun. You’ve seen enough, or should have on how the run game in the NFL works out of a shotgun. And none of you have a clue to look at what check down Charlie’s intermediate and deep passes are like. His entire college career he has less than 20. Get a clue.
If Brady and spytech don’t pick Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick they will get run out of town!
Um, NO
UM Yeah!
You must’ve loved cart too.
And That is Why JT da Dick is a Brain Dead Broadcaster instead of a Front Office Guy with a NFL Organization….
Ameer Abdullah, Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, Robert Spillane, Demico Autry, Jacobi Meyers all did well for other teams, this year. These players were not the problem, Raiders “leadership” ( or more accurately the lack thereof) was. Tre Tucker’s and Michael Mayer’s “problems” are the Raiders organization, most specifically offensive line and inept quarterback play. If anyone doubts this then watch them go to another team and be productive. The Raiders need, in addition to a competent offensive line, veteran quarterback depth, namely Malik Willis as the starter, Joshua Dobbs as the backup and a rookie who won’t be under pressure to start immediately. That’s how you add competent depth at this position.
Zamir White, Dillon Laube, Tyree Wilson, Kenny Pickett, Geno Smith and Adian O’Connell all need to be let go. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to address the (not so) Special teams. The offensive line and Special Teams coaches could use a serious upgrade. It seems that we are stuck with the guys who call themselves “Raiders Management,” so let’s see how they, this year, address last year’s “team” that they put on the field. No matter what they do, all the sportswriters will talk about is how things are looking up, until the team actually starts playing games.