Andrew Buller-Russ
Each year, there are a few odd stories that emerge from the NFL Scouting Combine. Fernando Mendoza made sure that 2026 was no different.
Teams often ask prospects a series of strange questions, trying to gauge their reactions or even provoke an interaction. This year, a team made a very strange suggestion to Mendoza, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to Mendoza, a team suggested (hopefully, perhaps jokingly) that he should “get arrested” so that he’d slide down to them in the NFL draft.
“It was: ‘Hey, maybe you should get arrested.’ I was a little confused, but then it was like to slide.”
The most bizarre question that Fernando Mendoza has been asked during his draft interviews
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 27, 2026
"It was: 'Hey, maybe you should get arrested.' I was a little confused, but then it was like to slide."
🎤: @AKinkhabwala pic.twitter.com/33RaeHkaPT
Of course, it’s in Mendoza’s best interest not to slide down draft boards so he can land the biggest contract available to draft picks. Look, we can’t blame a QB-needy team from trying anything in a desperate search for their next answer at the most important position in football, but this is a new tactic.
By all appearances, Mendoza will join the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick on April 23 when the first round of the NFL draft gets underway. Anything else would be a surprise, but other teams can continue to hope that the Heisman-winning National Champion slips to them instead.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders Willing to Trade No. 1 Overall Pick
