Fernando Mendoza

The No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, Mendoza is expected to begin the season backing up Kirk Cousins. How long that lasts is uncertain, but it wouldn’t surprise if the Heisman Trophy winner sat longer than most recent top QB picks. The Raiders aren’t playing for anything, the offensive line is bad (despite the signing of Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum) and there’s no downside in letting him acclimate to the NFL slowly. With prototypical size at 6-foot-4, 236, Mendoza is a classic pocket passer capable of making every throw even if his strong-enough arm isn’t elite. He was highly accurate last season at Indiana (72.0 completion percentage) with great touch and ball placement -- his 41/6 TD/INT came against top-tier talent, after all. Indiana’s offense consistently required pre-snap reads, which should aid his development. But while he is sufficiently athletic, he lacks mobility and likely won’t add to his fantasy value with a rushing threat. The Raiders spent most of their draft capital on defense, and the offensive cupboard is bare aside from TE Brock Bowers and perhaps WR Tre Tucker. The offense is likely to be run heavy anyway with Ashton Jeanty and fourth-round rookie Mike Washington under new head coach Klint Kubiak, the Super Bowl-winning OC from the Seahawks. Mendoza seems to have the tools and makeup to flourish, and getting tutelage from Raiders minority owner Tom Brady can’t hurt either. But it probably won’t happen in Year 1 even if he plays. Read Past Outlooks