Raiderstation

chucker wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 8:55 am

Amish Cabal wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:45 am And with that first pick in 2007 what did we do? Took the concensus #1 QB.

An extra 3 or 4 picks in the 1st and 2nd round is fools gold huh? I guess that depends on the GM. Gotta admit I'm not confident in Spytec/Brady and sure as hell not Bowlcut, but it does give us more shots, as well as owning the top 3 passer in the nation. (Mendoza #15)

At least Kiper agrees. LOL

https://thespun.com/nfl/mel-kiper-jr-ma ... as-raiders

tatalalicious wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:24 am Any scenario where the Raiders dont end up drafting Mendoza after being in need of a franchise qb since the Gannon/Gruden days would be a giant fail in my opinion. JR is not Mendoza, the signs of him being an impending bust were there long before he was drafted, but I like AD wanted to believe, lol.

tatalalicious wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:32 am It's is crazy when you think about it. As bad as the Raiders have been this century they've only been in position once before to pick first overall. This time there just happens to be a great qb prospect available who checks all the boxes and won the Heisman trophy and led his team to a championship. And some want the team not to take Mendoza in exchange for essentially fools gold.

Opoponax50 wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:40 am Insane. Mendoza is without a doubt the no-brainer pick for us. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We finally have a shot to draft what could be a franchise QB in a game where the QB is far and away the most important player on the field, and always will be.

Like you said, 20+ years of futility and this will be our only chance to get the best prospect.

The organization shouldn't even be talking about Mendoza right now. They should be focusing on who to take after Mendoza, which should make their job(s) a lot easier.

Toast wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 8:34 pm Even if Brady were just a figure head he bings credibility to the Raiders. He is more than that but I like the fact that the ultimate competitor is on our side.

Opoponax50 wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:53 am This is where I see Brady really contributing to the team. He brings instant credibility for Mendoza. No one else can offer him the opportunity to be mentored by the GOAT.

It's probably ill-founded but I have a nagging fear that Mendoza will refuse to play for us. It wouldn't be unprecedented, but I think Brady can prevent that from happening.

chucker wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:56 am I can understand the thought, because as a Raider fan you are accustomed to being doomed, but I think there's zero chance that Mendoza refuses to play for us.

chucker wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:43 am I don't think the organization is thinking about Mendoza at all. The guys at the top are focused on hiring a head coach. And IMO the scouts are all looking at other players. Mendoza at #1 is a done deal.

Southshield wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 12:23 pm 130 schools said no.
He led the losingest program in college football history to a national championship anyway.
Fernando Mendoza was a 2-star recruit from Miami.

He tried to walk on at his hometown school. They passed.
So did FIU.
So did FAU.
So did everyone else.

At 17, he was sitting in his bedroom, crying over a silent recruiting inbox—after driving to 18 camps with his dad and sending highlights to more than 100 programs.
Not one FBS offer.
His only option? Yale. No scholarship. No NFL path.

Everyone told him to be “realistic.”
“Know your place.”
“Be grateful.”
He didn’t listen.
Because Mendoza understood something most people miss:
The worst outcome isn’t failing.
It’s never getting the chance to try.

Two weeks before signing day in 2022, his phone rang.
Cal needed a body. One offer. Out of 134 schools.
He took it.
He arrived as the third-string quarterback.
Spent a year on the scout team.
Lost his first four starts.
Got sacked 41 times behind a broken offensive line.

Still got up. Every time.
Then Cal brought in a transfer instead of building around him.
So Mendoza left the only school that had ever said yes.
He transferred to Indiana—the losingest program in college football history.

People laughed.
“Career suicide.”
“Graveyard program.”
“Nobody wins there.”
One coach told him something different:
“I’m going to make you the best Fernando Mendoza possible.”
That was enough.
Mendoza wasn’t just playing for football.
His mother has battled multiple sclerosis for 18 years.

Before every snap, he thought of her.
“My mother is my why.”
Indiana went 16–0.
Beat six Top-10 teams.
Won their first Big Ten title since 1945.
Mendoza threw 41 touchdowns.
Won the Heisman—first in school history.
First Cuban-American to ever do it.

Then came the title game.
Miami. Near his hometown.
Fourth-and-4. Season on the line.
Quarterback draw.
The kid 134 schools rejected spun through defenders and dove into the end zone.

Game over.
Indiana—national champions.
The losingest program became the best team in America.
All because a 17-year-old refused to believe “no” was the end.

Rankings don’t decide your ceiling.
Gatekeepers don’t write your ending.
Being overlooked isn’t a verdict—it’s a starting point.

Sometimes all you need is one shot…
and the courage to bet on yourself when nobody else will.
Don’t quit.

Credit: Barclay Mullins

Dr Death wrote: Thu Jan 22, 2026 1:59 pm Just think..... this awesome kid is going to be a Raider!