It has been widely established that the Las Vegas Raiders will use the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana University. However, it doesn’t mean they’re done evaluating the position yet. If anything, the team is doing its due diligence by continuing to meet with other quarterbacks.

“Sawyer Robertson throws a pretty ball,” Hoyt wrote on X. “Said he’s had Zoom interviews with the Commanders, the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Panthers. Said he also has a Zoom meeting scheduled with the Patriots.”

Baylor’s quarterback Sawyer Robertson is making the rounds of NFL franchises this offseason. He’s the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Big 12 QB and also the last starting quarterback to be developed by the legendary coach Mike Leach. Per NFL reporter Joseph Hoyt, the Raiders are among five teams that are looking at the 23-year-old as a possible addition.

After all, April 23 is exactly a month away, and it was only recently when ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote that “if your favorite team needs a quarterback, I have some bad news,” referring to the thin quarterback class in the draft.

Robertson is coming off a career-high season across the board. In 2025, he threw for 3,681 yards and 31 touchdowns against 12 interceptions across 12 starts. Those picks appear to be the only blip in an otherwise impressive campaign. The Raiders could look at his draft stock as a developmental project.

PFF’s 2026 draft guide rates Sawyer Robertson’s arm at 8/10 on velocity and distance. But the surrounding marks create mixed feelings: 5/10 on decision-making, progressions, and poise. Additionally, his baseball-influenced throws create one of the highest uncatchable and inaccurate pass percentages in the class.

Despite those flags, the Raiders’ interest has a practical explanation: they have almost no one at the position. Las Vegas traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets in March, leaving Aidan O’Connell as the only quarterback on the roster.

There’s another element that makes this addition more appealing for the Raiders. Robertson’s Baylor offensive coordinator, Jake Spavital, has also coached Fernando Mendoza and Geno Smith in the past.

Las Vegas has already seen Smith in action and is projected to use its first overall pick in the 2026 draft to pick Mendoza. Robertson could develop alongside him to give the team options with built-in system familiarity.

Meanwhile, there is another question the Raiders need to address about their quarterback room. And that’s whether Fernando Mendoza will start Week 1 once he joins them officially.

The Fernando Mendoza dilemma

Fernando Mendoza enters April 23 as the most complete college quarterback in recent memory. He went 16-0 at Indiana, won the Heisman, and posted 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdowns with a 74% completion rate against just six picks. That kind of production hints at a franchise quarterback, but drafting him No. 1 and starting him Week 1 are two separate decisions.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini recently reported that the Raiders could opt for a veteran starter in 2026 while Mendoza gets up to NFL speed.

“Expect the Las Vegas Raiders to show interest in Kirk Cousins as they look for a veteran QB addition to help develop presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza,” Russini shared on X.

But that preference doesn’t align with recent history. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams both led their team to the divisional rounds. Drake Maye pushed the New England Patriots all the way to Super Bowl LX. 2025 was the second NFL season for all three of them, after starting games as rookies. The record doesn’t support sitting a premium quarterback behind a veteran bridge.

Las Vegas hasn’t had a steady QB room since Derek Carr suited up in silver and black. Whether that stability comes from Fernando Mendoza or Sawyer Robertson, finding it would require a lot more than Zoom interviews.