The Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, where they are widely expected to take Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana, who recently won the national championship. The Raiders also recently announced the hire of Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be their next head coach, taking over for Pete Carroll.
Still on the roster in Las Vegas is quarterback Geno Smith, who was also brought in from the Seahawks prior to last year, and suffered through a disastrous season for the Raiders, opening the door for Mendoza's likely arrival.
Recently, Kubiak spoke on what the future looks like for Smith during a media availability at the ongoing NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
“Trying to see every possible avenue we can go next year at quarterback, and he’s definitely one of those options,” reported Ryan McFadden of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
McFadden also reported that “Kubiak said he has spoken to Smith briefly since being hired..”
While Kubiak was unlikely to either fully commit to Smith, or reveal the Raiders' draft choice, during an interview at the NFL Combine, it was still an interesting answer, to say the least.
Raiders fans are certainly hoping that the team indeed selects Mendoza at number one and starts him from the opening week of the season. While Mendoza may not fit the bill of a prototypical number one overall quarterback selection in 2026, he still showcased some elite skills during his run at Indiana, including big arm talent and the ability to make plays in the running game.
If the Raiders do select him, it will be interesting to see whether they opt to keep Smith onboard s a backup or if they explore trades or other avenues.
The NFL Draft is slated to take place in late April in Pittsburgh.
