The closer the NFL draft gets, the louder the questions and arguments get.
And it’s not just Player A vs. Player B, or if a team should stay put or move down in the draft.
Sometimes the questions have to do with individual players and what attributes prospective teams should be focused on.
WE SAW IT COMING: NFL draft prospects from Florida: Our evaluations from high school days
Are Rueben Bain Jr.’s arms too short to be a true impact edge rusher? Should the fact that Akheem Mesidor will be a 25-year-old rookie matter?
With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, the USA TODAY Florida Network is looking at questions concerning players from Florida high schools.
Background: The 6-foot-4¾, 236-pound Mendoza graduated from Cristopher Columbus High School in Miami. A three-star recruit in the 2022 class, Mendoza was ranked the 250th recruit in the state by 247Sports. He since won the Heisman Trophy, Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Maxwell Award in 2025 when he led Indiana to its first national championship.
Most likely landing spot: Las Vegas Raiders (No. 1)
It's not every year that there's an undisputed No. 1 pick before the draft begins, but that's what we have this April. Mendoza is the clear choice for a quarterback-needy Raiders squad. His body of work in 2025 was so impressive. He has a strong enough arm to make all the throws, his accuracy is outstanding — he completed 72 percent of his passes and threw just six interceptions in 2025 — and his is mature beyond his years. Mendoza has the required toughness to take hits early on and keep getting up and performing. Mendoza's mental makeup will allow him to make the necessary adjustments both on and off the field that will allow him to have early success.
No matter how good Mendoza was in 2025, it's still a big jump from college football to the NFL. Everything will be faster and there will be growing pains, just like there was for Cam Ward as the top pick in the 2025 draft. Signing Kirk Cousins as a free agent means the Raiders can bring Mendoza along slowly, possibly working him into the game plan in certain spots without putting too much on him all at once. Considering the Raiders have also have a rookie head coach in Klint Kubiak, maybe it will be best for Las Vegas to have a veteran under center — at least to start the season.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fernando Mendoza starting for Raiders after 2026 NFL Draft?