With Fernando Mendoza now officially draft-eligible, things are starting to fall into place for the Las Vegas Raiders. At least, their quarterback situation will finally stop being a glaring issue. It’s been a problem for far too long, and the Indiana quarterback certainly has the skill set to change that narrative and give the Raiders the stability they’ve been missing. However, that’s not the full picture. Sportscaster Dan Patrick has a strong case for why the team shouldn’t pick the 22-year-old first overall.

“I don’t know if Fernando Mendoza is a great quarterback,” the veteran sportscaster said on the Dan Patrick Show. “I think he’s a great story, but once again, I would not draft him number one if I were the Raiders.”

“The Raiders have a bad team,” Patrick explained. “They have a terrible offensive line, one of the worst in the NFL. Yes, they’ll try to improve upon that in the offseason, but you’re going to draft Fernando Mendoza number one, and you’re going to ask him to go in there and be great or be good or very good, and it won’t happen overnight. It won’t happen in that first year.”

Apparently, throughout the 2025 NFL season, the Raiders have one of the worst offensive lines. Las Vegas led the league in sacks allowed (64) while having the highest sack rate (10.6%). For context, the NFL average is 40.2 sacks allowed per team with a 6.5% sack rate, which highlights that the Raiders allowed sacks at a rate that’s 63% higher than the league average.

Subsequently, these problems have heavily impacted the performance of their QB1, Geno Smith. In 15 games, the former Seattle Seahawks shot-caller was sacked 55 times while facing pressure on 37.6% of his drop-backs. Under pressure, his completion percentage drops to 48.8% from 67.4% (overall), and he’s thrown 8 out of his 17 interceptions (per SumerSports).

Further, the offensive line gives Smith only 2.41 seconds on average before pressure arrives, resulting in extremely negative production with an EPA per pressured dropback of -0.794. These issues could easily put tremendous pressure on a rookie quarterback like Fernando Mendoza and derail his development significantly.

But despite these issues, the Las Vegas Raiders are still primed to select Mendoza first overall, especially after the recent remarks made by the franchise’s minority owner.

Tom Brady heaps praise on Fernando Mendoza after CFP Championship win

After witnessing Fernando Mendoza showcase his incredible talent and infectious energy in the CFP Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes, NFL legend Tom Brady rightfully praised the 22-year-old quarterback during his recent interview with Colin Cowherd.

“He’s played tremendously all season,” Brady said. “Sixteen and Oh, leading his team. He’s another guy that when you hear him speak—I always kind of judge quarterbacks; I go, ‘How would I have answered ’that?’—and he’s just a very mature young man. He’s got a bright future. Everybody coming into the league, there’s still so much room for development. Nobody’s a finished product.”

Tom Brady is right with his evaluation.

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In his only season at Indiana, Mendoza completed 273 of 379 passes (72%), threw for 3,535 yards, and finished with 41 touchdowns against just six interceptions. His play was a major reason the Hoosiers went a perfect 16–0 and captured the first national championship in program history.

In contrast, looking at various scouting reports, the 22-year-old has inconsistent deep ball accuracy, mediocre athleticism for extending plays, and a need to improve decision-making under duress. But if he gets drafted by the Raiders and has Tom Brady as his mentor, Fernando Mendoza could very well shut down his critics and emerge as the superstar that Las Vegas has craved for years.