The Las Vegas Raiders head into the offseason in a perfect position coming off a disappointing season. Thanks to the Raiders late season loss to the New York Giants, the team holds the 1st overall Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Considering how the season went, the Raiders need to find a franchise quarterback this offseason.
Heading into the season, the Raiders traded the 92nd overall pick to the Seahawks for Geno Smith, reuniting him with Pete Carroll. The Raiders have already moved on from Pete Carroll, and as Klint Kubiak takes over as head coach, he may already have a plan to follow from ownership.
Mark Davis tips off interest in Fernando Mendoza
Klint Kubiak didn't have a long time to celebrate the Seahawks Super Bowl win as he was introduced as the Raiders head coach on Tuesday. At the press conference, Mark Davis was asked about Fernando Mendoza as the Raiders front office went to the National Championship Game.
"He looked good. He won the National Championship. That’s a good thing. We would love to have that."Mark Davis
As soon as the Raiders secured the 1st Overall Pick, it became clear that they needed to draft a quarterback. Dante Moore opting to return to Oregon eliminated any debate as Fernando Mendoza is far and away the best quarterback in this draft class.
This team desperately needs to land a quarterback, and Fernando Mendoza is the answer to the Raiders problem. The Raiders have promising weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, but both would benefit greatly from better quarterback play.
The question now becomes if Klint Kubiak likes Fernando Mendoza as the offensive minded head coach will want to pick his quarterback. The allure or taking the Raiders job has to be having the 1st Overall Pick, and now the Raiders will have a head coach and quarterback starting on the same timeline.