Mel Kiper makes Fernando Mendoza Raiders guarantee after Kirk Cousins signing

The Las Vegas Raiders are just over two weeks away from being on the clock with the first overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, where they are widely expected to take Indiana standout Fernando Mendoza. While the team did recently raise eyebrows by signing veteran Kirk Cousins in free agency, that is not expected to put a damper in their plans to bring in Mendoza.

Recently, ESPN NFL Draft insider Mel Kiper Jr made a bold prediction when it comes to how long it will take Mendoza to become the Raiders’ starter.

“When you think about Kirk, he was competing with Michael Penix Jr. Now he’s the mentor for Fernando Mendoza. He knows he’s the franchise quarterback. He’s there to teach him the ropes. If he has to play four, five, six games, fine. If Mendoza’s ready for game one, he’ll be out there. But at some point either right away or early to mid, Fernando Mendoza is going to be the quarterback. They’re never going to look back,” said Kiper, via ESPN.com.

Indeed, there is far less ambiguity about Cousins’ role with the Raiders than there was when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons two years ago, immediately creating an awkward situation when the team drafted rookie Michael Penix Jr.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Raiders’ coaching staff will feel comfortable trotting out Mendoza to start in week one, but clearly, it isn’t expected to take long for him to establish himself as the starter in Las Vegas moving forward.

In any case, the NFL Draft is slated to get underway starting on March 23 from Pittsburgh.

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