There is no question that the Las Vegas Raiders’ top roster need is finding their franchise quarterback. In this day and age, a team simply can not win without a real talent under center, and that has been an issue for the Raiders for many years now.
Now armed with the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders have the opportunity to select their guy if they feel one is worthy of that first pick. In the eyes of many, that player is Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy this season and is just one victory away from leading Indiana to an undefeated season and the College Football National Championship.
However, some question whether Mendoza is really the type of prospect who can come in and change a franchise’s fortunes. One of those is former NFL QB and founder of The Dime Lab Kurt Benkert, who took to social media to give a warning on taking Mendoza first overall in the draft:
I think Mendoza is an operator. Efficient, accurate, and can move the chains with his legs just enough.
I DON’T think he can go to Vegas #1 overall and make them competitive in a stacked AFC West. I personally think they will need a quarterback with higher athletic upside to… pic.twitter.com/rwCxuQW5Lx
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) January 8, 2026
There is no exact science to evaluating quarterbacks in the draft, as some supposed can’t-miss prospects have fizzled, while many amazing quarterbacks have been selected far later. Mendoza has a lot of tools to work with and is clearly a winning player, but that doesn’t always translate to the NFL.
For the Raiders, it is of utmost importance that they do their homework and truly determine whether Mendoza is the player who can take this franchise to the next level. He was nearly perfect in Indiana’s semi-final victory over Oregon, and quarterback Dante Moore, who many feel would be the top QB prospect should he declare for the draft. But the Raiders can not afford to get this pick wrong, as it will set up the franchise for many years to come either positively or negatively.
Raiders have multiple interviews lined up for head coaching position
The other extremely important decision the Raiders must make is finding their head coach after firing Pete Carroll after just one season. And the team already has multiple interviews scheduled with the likes of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, among others.
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