The Las Vegas Raiders are positioned to get a whole lot better during the 2026 offseason. Las Vegas is off to a good start after hiring Klint Kubiak at head coach. Now the Raiders can use the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, plus their mountain of cap space, to quickly build a contender in the desert.
One popular theory is that Las Vegas will pick Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza in the draft, making him their next franchise quarterback.
Kubiak admitted that he does not have a lot of exposure to Mendoza during a recent interview.
“My exposure is very limited,” Kubiak said. “I saw him play the national championship game, I saw the interviews he’s given after those games and how team-oriented he is. I look forward to getting to know the player better, but obviously a really talented guy with a bright future. We’ll see. We’ll see where it ends up. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to get to know him before that time comes.”
Kubiak was the offensive coordinator in Seattle during the 2025 season. His focus was solely on the Seahawks and their opponents from week to week. That did not leave him with much time to study the upcoming draft class.
Las Vegas has a huge need at the quarterback position. They seem destined to part ways with veteran Geno Smith and only have Aidan O'Connell as a backup behind him.
Meanwhile, Mendoza played well throughout the 2025 season. He logged 3,535 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Mendoza also added 90 carries for 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
There do not appear to be many good quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class. That immediately shoots Mendoza to the top of the draft board for many QB-needy teams.
Kubiak now has plenty of time to get familiar with Mendoza before the 2026 NFL Draft.
The next step will be the NFL Scouting Combine, which kicks off on February 23rd in Indianapolis.
