fernando mendoza
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Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
The Las Vegas Raiders are almost certainly going to come out of the 2026 NFL Draft with a new starting quarterback. The expectation has been that they will select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick.
However, there’s been some debate that Alabama’s Ty Simpson might be the better prospect. The Raiders have yet to show any interest in Simpson, but their interest in Mendoza has been obvious since owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek went to watch him play in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Ahead of the draft, the team is going to get a close look at the young quarterback. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are hosting Mendoza on a Top 30 visit in the coming weeks.
Ian Rapoport
The #Raiders, holding the No. 1 overall pick, will host #Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza on a Top 30 visit in two weeks, I’m told.
The presumptive first selection will take part in IU’s Pro Day on Apr. 1, paving the way for his all-important visit to Las Vegas the next week.
Notably, the Raiders aren’t meeting with him until after his Indiana Pro Day. That’ll give them a chance to ask him questions based on his performance. Since the Raiders have the No. 1 pick, there’s no reason for them to be sneaky.
If they’re even considering Simpson, they’ll have him come in for a visit. If that doesn’t happen, there’s almost no way they’ll take him at No. 1 when the draft rolls around. This will be an incredibly important meeting for Mendoza, but it looks like he’s already pretty close to convincing the Raiders to take him with the top pick. He just needs to seal the deal when they meet.