Raiders urged to pass on Fernando Mendoza with NFL player comparison given

The Las Vegas Raiders draft talk has been centred around one player.

Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the first overall pick by the Raiders in the upcoming NFL Draft.

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The Indiana Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions, while also rushing for 276 yards and seven more scores.

After transferring from California, he guided Indiana to its first undefeated season in program history, defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the championship game.

New head coach Klint Kubiak is keeping his draft strategy close to his chest with the NFL Combine beginning next week.

But every mock draft has Mendoza going to Las Vegas, but not everyone thinks that it should be the plan.

Suggestions Raiders should trade first pick instead of taking Mendoza

Colin Cowherd thinks the Las Vegas environment isn’t a good fit, and now Danny Parkins has suggested they should trade the pick all-together.

During a recent segment on FS1’s First Things First, Parkins said: “Given how many holes the Raiders have, and given the comp for Mendoza seems to be a Jared Goff type who’s a little faster with a little worse arm… that can miss.”

Parkins’ argument was cantered around the Raiders entire roster construction, not just Mendoza’s ability.

The Geno Smith experiment failed miserably in 2025, not helped by the fact he was sacked 55 times and threw 17 interceptions.

The Raiders finished the 2025 season with a 3-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Parkins suggested that trading the No. 1 pick could allow the Raiders to focus on entire roster construction, not just the hole at QB.

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Mendoza compared to Jared Goff

In his statement on First Things First, Parkins compared Mendoza to Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Goff, a first overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams, has led two different franchises to conference championship games and started a Super Bowl.

It is widely accepted that Goff has the better arm, but Mendoza is the better all-round athlete.

But, they do share some weaknesses, such as their respective comfort levels when facing pressure.

Las Vegas‘ defense allowed Smith to be sacked 55 times in 2025, so without a major offseason shake-up, Mendoza could be put in a similar situation if drafted.

Particularly if Maxx Crosby ends up leaving the Raiders, and he is expected to be heavily pursued this offseason.

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In that context, Parkins suggested that trading the No. 1 pick could allow the Raiders to accumulate additional high-end assets to address multiple needs.

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