INDIANAPOLIS — 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. That is the exact stat line the Las Vegas Raiders are chasing. Armed with the No. 1 overall pick, the Silver and Black arrive at the 2026 NFL Combine with one clear objective: draft the quarterback of the future. New head coach Klint Kubiak just hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as the offensive coordinator in Super Bowl LX. He did not take the Vegas job to rebuild slowly. He wants to strike fast.
The Heisman Target
All eyes in Indianapolis point toward Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana Hoosiers superstar ripped through college football last season, claiming the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship. Mendoza didn’t just win games; he broke the system. He shredded defenses through the air and capped off a flawless 16-0 record by bulldozing through the Miami defense for a critical 12-yard touchdown run in the national title game.
Mendoza’s journey resonates deeply inside front offices. Once a lightly recruited kid whose college career started at Cal, he transferred to Indiana and built a dominant resume. He also plays with a heavy heart and fierce motivation, frequently honoring his mother, Elsa, who battles Multiple Sclerosis. That specific kind of grit is exactly what the Raiders evaluate when digging into a prospect’s psychological profile.
Skipping the Indy Turf
The Raiders will conduct a formal interview with Mendoza this week. They will grill him on play terminology, protections, and defensive reads. But they will not see him spin a single football inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Mendoza will skip the on-field throwing drills at the combine, opting instead to throw at his scheduled Pro Day on April 1. This is a standard business decision for consensus No. 1 picks. Throwing to familiar college teammates in a controlled environment limits the variables that can tank a draft stock. Las Vegas front office executives will not sweat the delay. The whiteboard sessions and medical evaluations in Indy carry far more weight.
“Mendoza is a poised, accurate passer who has plus arm talent, consistently delivering catchable balls on time and in rhythm. You watch the tape, and the guy simply does not flinch under pressure.”
— Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports Draft Analyst
Draft Implications / What’s Next
If Las Vegas locks in Mendoza at No. 1, Kubiak can immediately install his heavy play-action, under-center offensive scheme. The Raiders already boast young offensive weapons like tight end Brock Bowers. Injecting a highly accurate, pro-ready distributor like Mendoza gives the Raiders an instant identity shift in the AFC West.
The combine interviews will dictate the final grade. If Mendoza nails his face-to-face meetings with Kubiak, the April 1 Pro Day becomes a mere formality. The Silver and Black have their target. Now, they just have to make it official on April 23.
