“Grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work.” That’s what Fernando Mendoza said after the Las Vegas Raiders drafted him as the No. 1 overall pick. The statement showed the mindset of the 22-year-old QB that, no matter the complications, he is ready to learn and grow. However, after months of offseason training sessions, former NFL scout Daniel Kelly warned the Raiders about signing Mendoza by throwing his assessment.

“As a former NFL Scout, I recommend that the Raiders and Rams DO NOT sign Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson to their rookie deals. Save the money,” wrote Kelly on X. “Both were overhyped. Mendoza was a 4th-round NFL value on his 2025 Indiana game film. Simpson was an NFL 3rd-round value on his 2025 Alabama game film. Both of their careers have been framed with expectations they can’t meet since they both were overdrafted in the 1st round, both are busts. Both have confirmed in OTAs that they are going to struggle in the NFL.”

Fernando Mendoza entered the 2026 NFL Draft with all the hype around his collegiate career. He led the Indiana Hoosiers to a 16-0 season to win the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship for the 2025 season. Not just that, Mendoza also became the first in school history with 41 passing touchdowns in a season. So, there were certain expectations around a talent like him as soon as he joined the Raiders.

However, the offseason training sessions have shown certain struggles in Mendoza’s game. For starters, whenever Mendoza was given limited reps against the Raiders’ first-team defense, headlined by Max Crosby, his timing was noticeably off. That eventually led to hurried throws and broken plays from the rookie QB. Then there was the unfamiliarity with the offensive schemes.

In college, Mendoza operated strictly out of a shotgun-heavy, RPO-based scheme. However, now he is taking snaps directly under center, a completely new mechanic for him. That’s why the franchise’s new signing in free agency, veteran QB Kirk Cousins, has commanded the majority of first-team reps.

Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly pointed out that Mendoza’s struggles are too concerning for the Raiders to sign him. For the upcoming season, Cousins will seemingly lead the offense, which means the Las Vegas Raiders are considering Mendoza as a long-term solution.

Apart from the negatives, there have been certain positives around the 22-year-old QB’s offseason as well. According to his teammates, Mendoza approaches every day as if he were an undrafted free agent fighting for a roster spot. The QB also went as far as to take 25 to 50 extra snaps under center at the team hotel every night after practice sessions to master his footwork. These are some qualities that have impressed HC Klint Kubiak as well.

“[He has] not disappointed,” said Kubiak after OTA practice. “He’s working his tail off. It’s very important to him that he asks a lot of great questions when he gets on the field. He’s no B.S.; he’s all ball. Anything that you put in front of him, he’s going to attack it. Anything new, he spends extra time on. You can tell he fixes things from one day to the next.”

The Raiders seem happy with how Fernando Mendoza has carried himself so far. Considering that, it seems unlikely that the Raiders will walk away from Fernando Mendoza on his rookie contract.