The Las Vegas Raiders may have selected their franchise quarterback this Thursday night in Fernando Mendoza.
It was no secret that Mendoza was going No. 1 overall to the Raiders. He was by far and away the best quarterback prospect in this draft class. After all, the Heisman Trophy winner had 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdowns during his 2025 season.
Even though Mendoza didn't attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, he spoke to ESPN about being drafted by the Raiders.
"What a great organization, great legacy," Mendoza said. "There's so many teammates I'm looking forward to talking to -- coaches, owners. I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
After the Raiders officially turned in the card for Mendoza, he received a heartfelt message from Tom Brady.
"Congratulations to all the rookies who are joining the NFL this weekend. I hope you can appreciate this special moment… you’ve earned it through hard work, discipline, and determination. You’ve made your family proud, along with everyone else on your journey that has supported you," Brady wrote on social media. "But this is just the beginning. When you wake up tomorrow morning, just know that your career will be defined by what happens going forward. You’ll need to take everything you do to the next level in order to compete with the world’s best. Welcome to Las Vegas @fernandomendoza. Time to get to work."
Brady gave Mendoza advice before the NFL Draft.
Since Brady is a minority owner for the Raiders, he was present for their top-30 visit with Mendoza. It turns out the seven-time Super Bowl champion gave Mendoza a friendly warning about what he can expect in Las Vegas.
"It was fantastic," Mendoza said. "He gave me the message that he's going to push me, and he's not going to be all lovey-dovey."
Learning from the most accomplished quarterback of all time doesn't sound too bad. We'll see if Mendoza makes the most out of this opportunity.
