The Las Vegas Raiders own the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, and for many, it is a given that they will go with Indiana Hoosiers prospect Fernando Mendoza. The quarterback led the team to a perfect 16-0 season and the national championship.
Mendoza turned a lot of heads during his three-year tenure in college, and many teams would love to have him on the roster. However, since the 2026 NFL Combine, a quarterback has earned more recognition around the league.
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Ty Simpson of Alabama is considered the QB2 of this year’s draft, but some started pushing him as the best signal-caller of his class. This has created a debate involving Simpson and Mendoza. Raiders star Ashton Jeanty offered his thoughts on the matter.
“Whoever we draft at quarterback is better,” he said during a recent livestream.
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Classy: Raiders star RB Ashton Jeanty reveals which QB he thinks is better, Ty Simpson or Fernando Mendoza.
Las Vegas will be a PROBLEM next season 👀 pic.twitter.com/sJHjwwuAuG
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 25, 2026
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Dan Orlovsky says Ty Simpson is better than Fernando Mendoza
During Monday’s edition of ESPN’s “Get Up,” former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky made the case for Ty Simpson as the best quarterback in this year’s draft.
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“When you look at the body of work and what was asked of these two quarterbacks, you have to start with the question: Who needed to do more to carry their football team to play well?” Orlovsky said. “It’s Ty Simpson, and it’s not close between those two quarterbacks.”
This take earned Orlovsky a lot of criticism. Still, he said what he said, and doesn’t seem to back down anytime soon. The Raiders plan to add a veteran to guide Mendoza, so he won’t go out there without the tools to dominate the league.
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