Unlike many other years, there is no consensus choice to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Yet, with the Las Vegas Raiders in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, the popular pick is Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza.
The Heisman-winning QB is coming off a massive breakout season that concluded with a win in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Now he hopes to bring his winning ways to an NFL franchise in 2026.
While there’s a long way to go between now and April 23, when the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway, scouts and analysts are already offering projections and player comparisons. So, who does Mendoza compare to?
Recently, Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer addressed that very topic in his mailbag on Wednesday. In doing so, he compared Mendoza to Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
While Goff has enjoyed a successful career, he was not viewed as a can’t-miss prospect with all the tools to thrive when he was selected. Obviously, he’s proved many skeptics wrong, but he was never described as a potential generational talent such as Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow or Caleb Williams.
Now it’s up to Mendoza to prove the skeptics wrong once again, just as he’s done his entire football career.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders Had Large Contingent Scouting Fernando Mendoza on Monday
