National Championship-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza does not know for sure if he will be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he has made it clear he would fully embrace the chance to be mentored by the most prolific quarterback in history.
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"Yeah, I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady?" Mendoza asked during the NFL Scouting Combine. "I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody. So, that opportunity would be fantastic.
"Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time, by a wide margin, and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much.
"Especially to learn, and I'm all about learning. So from Day 1, you know, I've got to learn a lot. It's gonna be a long journey, and to potentially have a mentor like that, it would be pretty impressive and pretty meaningful."
Brady, the minority owner of the Raiders, has not met Mendoza in person. They briefly spoke on the phone. He and the Raiders decision makers also flew to Miami to watch Mendoza close out a perfect 16-0 season with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Mendoza has already had an interview with the Raiders, which he felt went well. Yet, that doesn't mean that he will automatically land with the team when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage in Pittsburgh to announce the first overall pick on April 23.
"It was a fantastic interview," Mendoza said. "Coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays and did plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting.
"I know they have the No. 1 pick, but anything can happen in the Draft. Excited for the opportunity and whatever team drafts me, I am going to give everything I got to them."
If Mendoza lands with the Raiders, he will have the opportunity to work with Brady. He will also take on a monumental task — helping new head coach Klint Kubiak fix a franchise that has only made the playoffs since the Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers on Jan. 26, 2003.
This team last won a division crown in 2002. It has only posted two winning seasons (2016, 2021) in this same stretch of time. The Raiders have seen constant upheaval while going through 12 full-time head coaches and countless players.
