New Raiders star sends Fernando Mendoza clear message as hype over No. 1 draft pick challenged

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to pair their veteran center with a shiny new rookie quarterback.

Fernando Mendoza, the projected top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, will almost certainly head to Sin City in April.

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The struggling franchise, co-owned by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, are doing everything possible to set him up for success.

Moves have been made to bring in pieces around him, and what was arguably the league’s worst offensive line in 2025 has been bolstered.

Free agency has seen the arrival of wide receiver Jalen Nailor, fullback and tight end Connor Heyward, and most importantly, Tyler Linderbaum.

The center, who arrived from the Baltimore Ravens, is seen as Las Vegas’ splash signing.

He agreed a three-year, $81 million deal that includes $60m guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.

Linderbaum certainly earned his money, and quickly established himself as one of the best centers in the league in Baltomore.

He went to three-straight Pro Bowls with the team, and was up front for Lamar Jackson when the quarterback won his second MVP award in 2023.

Now though, the 25-year-old will have a new quarterback to work with.

Ahead of the NFL Draft, in which the Raiders are expected to select their new franchise guy, Linderbaum sent a clear message to Mendoza about the relationship he wants to build.

Tyler Linderbaum demands close relationship with new Las Vegas QB

“I think the relationship with the quarterback (and) center is really important,” he told Movin’ the Chains on Sirius XM.

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“Communication, understanding protections and putting the team in the best position possible on that play.

“We’ve got to have a relationship. Lamar and I certainly had a relationship… it’s very important.

“And that starts throughout the week with your preparation, game prep. You’ve got to be seeing the same things that the quarterback’s seeing and vice versa.

“I think that’s what’s going to build a strong unit.”

Mendoza, for all the fanfare around him, will still be a rookie. And it will fall on Linderbaum to help him settle in the league, and fulfil his potential in Las Vegas.

The Indiana Hoosiers prospect has been touted as the potential savoir of the Raiders franchise, and while he is the runaway No. 1 pick, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has challenged some of the hype around him.

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NFL analyst claims Ty Simpson’s tape stands up to Fernando Mendoza

He believes that Ty Simpson, who could be the second QB taken in 2026, is not that far behind.

The Alabama signal caller, though, has not made the same headlines as Mendoza. It’s expected he could be a mid-to-late first-round pick, or even slip into Day 2.

And that confuses Orlovsky.

“He’s very much Brock Purdy for me,” the ESPN analyst began, comparing Simpson to San Francisco’s $265m signal caller.

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“If you just watch his tape, and you take everything else away, all you see is a big-time throw that is an NFL-style throw down the field, a 20-yard in, a 20-yard crossing route, a deep post, a deep corner route, under pressure.

“The things that we watch and demand of NFL quarterbacks — pinpoint ball placement in the redzone. He’s surgical in rhythm and timing. A sprinkle of play-making in incredibly difficult and challenging throws.

“The thing that I get stuck on is that in the middle of November, everybody to a T that is a draft analyst or projector, had Ty Simpson as a Top 5 or Top 7 pick.

“And then the play did drop off — not nearly as much as everyone makes it out — because he got beat up and their offensive line fell apart.

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“He was carrying that team, and they couldn’t run the football. Then he’s not worthy of a first-round pick anymore? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Mendoza is impressive, but I think Ty Simpson, tape-wise? Just as impressive.”

It’s clear Orlovsky believes Simpson should be rated higher than he currently is, heading into next month’s draft.

But the Raiders will have had their eye on Mendoza for months, and it’s almost certain he’ll be stood behind Linderbaum in 2026.

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