The Las Vegas Raiders appear set to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft. While the team previously stated they would complete their full evaluation process, Wednesday’s pro day performance in Bloomington, Indiana, has seemingly cemented Mendoza’s status.

Raiders Send a Delegation to Indiana

The Raiders sent a significant contingent of personnel executives to observe Mendoza, including head coach Klint Kubiak, director of scouting Brandon Yeargan, assistant general manager Brian Stark, and several vice presidents. This large presence signaled a clear message to Mendoza: the organization is invested in him.

Mendoza's Dominant Pro Day Performance

Mendoza completed an astonishing 53 of 56 passes during his pro day, with the two incompletions attributed to dropped passes by his receivers. One overthrow traveled over 60 yards and narrowly missed his target. He demonstrated exceptional accuracy, velocity, and command of the offense.

“It’s not just the accuracy and the velocity,” remarked an NFL personnel executive. “It’s how he led his receivers, it was the fundamentals, it was his command. Very, very impressive.”

Meeting with the Raiders Family

Following the on-field performance, Mendoza met privately with members of the Raiders organization. He is scheduled for a top-30 visit to Las Vegas in the coming weeks, where he will have the opportunity to interact with the entire team.

Mendoza's Focus on Team and Improvement

Despite being the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and widely projected as the first overall pick, Mendoza emphasized his desire to support his Indiana teammates during the pro day. “The main goal of today was to serve my teammates, and I think that I was able to do that,” Mendoza stated. “To be able to put them in position where they were able to make plays, show what they got, and I’m very excited for them in the future.”

Mendoza also expressed his commitment to continuous improvement. “I’m just trying to be the best quarterback I can be in September, rather than right now here in April,” he said. He added, “I wouldn’t really say it’s a mentality of trying to be the top pick, I’m trying to be the best me possible…you only need one team to believe in you.”

Potential for Immediate Impact

Head coach Klint Kubiak acknowledged the possibility of Mendoza starting immediately. “I think ideally you don’t want him to start from day one,” Kubiak said. “You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody.” However, he conceded, “Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it’s our job as a coach to get them ready to go.”

The Raiders appear to be preparing Mendoza for a potential immediate impact, effectively beginning his preparation on Wednesday. The team’s actions strongly suggest that Mendoza will be the newest face of the franchise.