Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers football
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(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders were in attendance for Fernando Mendoza’s Pro Day on April 1, as the Silver and Black have a decision to make on whether he will be the guy they take with the No. 1 pick in this month’s NFL Draft.
After Mendoza’s Pro Day wrapped up, ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick shared what he saw from Mendoza.
“It’s really his presence,”Riddick said on the April 1 edition of “NFL Live.” “He comes off, and a lot of it is the unspoken, intangible part of the evaluation that you get and that really jumps out at you when you are around this young man.
“We can talk about how smooth he looked working from a simulated under‑center snap, what his footwork looked like, and how consistently on balance he appeared, how tight the spiral was during his warm‑ups, and for the majority of his workout.
“We can talk about all of that, but it’s the way he commanded himself from the time he walked out on the field until the time he came over here, sat down, and answered the questions that he answered. It just kind of oozed franchise-caliber quarterback type of stuff. And that’s an important part of what he’s going to be asked to do, which is to really take charge.”
NFL Analyst Shares Compelling Interaction With Las Vegas’ Leaders
Moreover, Riddick shared a quick interaction that would excite the Raiders organization as they could be on the verge of having a franchise QB should the Silver and Black decide to take him.
“I’m sitting there going, ‘This is a guy who gets it. This is a guy who understands what the quarterback position requires,‘” Riddick added. “And I was standing right next to John Spytek, the general manager, and Klint Kubiak, the head coach. And they’re just sitting there, and we’re just looking at each other, nodding our heads like, ‘Yep, there it is. Yep, that’s the guy.‘”
Mendoza posted an 87.9 overall PFF grade during the 2025 season for theIndiana Hoosiers, ranking 30th among 302 qualified quarterbacks. His 83.7 passing grade placed him 35th at the position.
Over 336 dropbacks, he threw for 2,758 yards with 32 touchdowns and five interceptions. Furthermore, he recorded 16 big-time throws and nine turnover-worthy plays.
Furthermore, his average depth of target sat at 9.4 yards, and he averaged 2.63 seconds to throw. On the ground, Mendoza added 200 scramble yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Raiders Issue Update on QB Situation
The Raiders were looking to add a veteran in Joe Flacco, but he decided to stay with theCincinnati Bengals. As a result, it appears that the Silver and Black want a veteran signal caller to go with O’Connell and likely Mendoza.
On March 30,Raiders general manager John Spytek spoke with reporters and shared an update on the team’s plan to improve the QB position as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.
“Aidan’s played a lot of good football in this league,“ Spytek said. “He’s started, he’s thrown for 300 yards in games. He’s a great teammate, works his tail off, and he’s smart.
“Obviously, he’s the only quarterback on the roster right now, and at a premium position, I think it’s a fair question to ask. We’re considering a bunch of different things right now, and I think we’ll have some answers here in the coming weeks.”