The 2025 season has been a disaster of epic proportions for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The team entered Week 12 with a 2-8 record and was set to have one of its most winnable remaining games against the Cleveland Browns. However, the Browns, who gave Shedeur Sanders his first NFL start at quarterback, easily dispatched of the Raiders, moving the team to 2-9.
Playoffs are out of the picture, and the future of the team doesn't look all that promising either. The team just traded for and extended veteran passer Geno Smith this offseason, but he has not performed nearly as well as the team hoped.
Smith is also not getting any younger, and the team will have to find a long-term answer at the game's most important position soon. Could the team cut bait on Smith after just one year?
Chris Landers of FanSided recently published an updated 2026 mock draft. In the mock, Landers had the Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 5 pick.
Mendoza is currently enjoying a breakout season with the Hoosiers. The talented quarterback is in his first season with the team after spending the previous two seasons with the California Golden Bears.
So far in 2025, Mendoza has thrown for 2,641 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. The quarterback leads the FBS in touchdown passes and has the Hoosiers at 11-0 and geared for another appearance in the College Football Playoff.
According to BetMGM, Mendoza is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Understandably, the passer has been skyrocketing up draft boards all season.
If the Raiders are in position to take Mendoza, it would likely be hard to pass him up. Mendoza has NFL size at 6'5", 225, and while not an elite runner by any means, he does have nine rushing scores in his career. The quarterback's arm strength and accuracy have frequently been praised by scouts.
Considering the Raiders just gave Smith a two-year extension worth $75 million last offseason, the team likely won't be able to move him this offseason. Instead, Smith could help Mendoza develop before eventually giving up the starting job to the rookie.
If Mendoza develops during his rookie season, the Raiders could move on from Smith after next season. The team already has the running back of the future in Ashton Jeanty, and adding a passer like Mendoza could finally bring the team back to relevancy.