Fernando Mendoza NFL Draft profile: The QB set to go No. 1 to the Raiders

247Sports recruiting profile

• **High school:**Miami Columbus (Miami)
• **Class:**2022
• Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (No. 134 QB, No. 250 FL)

Fernando Mendoza NFL Draft profile

Fernando Mendoza

IND • QB • #15

CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 1 overall (No. 1 QB)

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• Age as of Week 1: 22 years old (23 in December)
• **Measurables:**6-foot-4¾, 236 pounds, 9½-inch hands, 31⅞-inch arm length, 76¾-inch wingspan
• Testing: Did not participate in on-field testing
• **Comparable body type:**Vinny Testaverde

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NFL comparison

Kirk Cousins

LV • QB • #18

CMP%61.7

YDs1721

TD10

INT5

YD/Att6.4

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It's incredible how much Mendoza is just like his new teammate-to-be Kirk Cousins. Both are smart, hard-working leaders who can process defenses in real time and have excellent poise and accuracy from clean pockets. Both display good mobility (Mendoza probably more so). Neither has cannons for an arm, but both possess more than enough arm strength to work in the league. And both are sometimes a hot mess and sometimes a hero under pressure from the defense.

Cousins was never quite good enough to lead his team on a deep playoff run, but Mendoza might because of how driven he is to improve and play at his best.

[Why projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza will not attend NFL Draft, league asked Peyton Manning to help

Brad Crawford

About

• 2025: Heisman Trophy winner; CFP national champion
• 2025: Led FBS in pass TD (41) and total TD (48); 27 TD, 0 INT in red zone
• 2025: 72.0% completion rate, 9.3 YPA (top five in FBS)
• 2025: 64.2% on third down, 9.9 YPA, 15.8% TD rate (FBS-high), 3 INT
• 2025: 67% completion rate in red zone; 27 TD on 65 attempts
• CFP: 9 total TD, 0 turnovers; more pass TD than incompletions in QF/SF
• History: One of four No. 1 overall picks to win Heisman + national title (Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Joe Burrow)
• Draft: Would be Indiana's first top-five pick (Common Draft Era)

Strengths

• Has the desired size for a pro quarterback, complete with a wide upper body and strong quads and legs.

• Experienced in changing playcalls and organizing protections before the snap.

• Fantastic, consistent footwork and polished throwing mechanics when unfettered by enemy pass rushers. Mendoza had a quick motion and compact delivery, giving a catchable, pretty ball.

• Was adept at reading defense coverages pre-snap, with very good decisions made. Saw a good amount of both man-to-man and zone coverages in college and had good numbers against each (higher completion rate against zone coverage, higher touchdown rate against man coverage). This may have been the biggest area of improvement for Mendoza from 2024 to 2025.

3. Here's an example of Mendoza making a good second read after looking left post-snap -- and an example of him taking the shorter, safer throw as he had two receivers streaking downfield. pic.twitter.com/wBqRChf3Mp

— #AskFFT (@daverichard) April 9, 2026

• Typically threw with appropriate velocity when his feet were planted, and his pockets were clean. Knew when to put more on a pass or take a lot off a pass in order to make his balls catchable. Could hit the sideline from the far side of the field without issue. Was especially impressive velocity on bullet throws when he generated power from his entire body.

• Incredible accuracy on his throws from clean pockets. Mendoza's 77.8% completion rate over 297 throws when not pressured is rivaled by only Bo Nix's 78.9% among first-round QB prospects since the 2023 draft.

• Excellent anticipatory thrower, often throwing to a spot where his receiver could add yardage after the catch. Mendoza also rarely put his receivers in bad spots with his throws.

FIVE PLAYS: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

1. Iowa blitzes and shifts coverage at the snap, two things that Mendoza didn't always deal with well but this time he did as he places this deep ball perfectly between defenders & the sideline for a 37-yard gain. Stats say he didn't hit… pic.twitter.com/cZYpLe0gDS

— #AskFFT (@daverichard) April 9, 2026

• A playcaller rooted in West Coast Offense principles. Coaches like, say, Klint Kubiak should find this very appealing.

• Typically would play it safe rather than get too frisky, throwing short or using his legs once he believed anything downfield was locked down. That said, Mendoza was a fan of throwing to targets in one-on-one situations; expect him to consistently fire at Brock Bowers when a defense attempts to cover him with one guy.

• Mastered making the right call on zone-read plays; punked crashing defensive ends every single time.

• Willing to use his legs to evade defenders and keep plays alive as well as run in all kinds of situations (zone-read plays, designed runs, and off-schedule improvisational runs). Better-than-expected speed with good balance and incredible toughness -- Mendoza was not above sacrificing his body if it meant making a play on the ground.

• Tough kid who took a beating and always got up. Took his fair share of hits (some penalized) and missed a grand total of one snap (Ohio State). Even showed off a bruised arm after winning the National Championship and complimented Miami's defense.

5. HE FINDS WAYS TO WIN. Mendoza's signature run in the CFP title game is a brilliant fourth-down run call that easily gets a first down, but it's his balance, toughness and awareness that makes this what became the game-winning TD for IU. pic.twitter.com/YmaokGiTZu

— #AskFFT (@daverichard) April 9, 2026

• Earned his money in the red zone, where 27 of his 41 passing touchdowns were scored without an interception (no INTs in the red zone in 2024 either). Mendoza delivered a 67% completion rate, a 41.5% TD rate and a 4.6% off-target rate, ranking him no worse than second in all three of those categories versus other first-round QB prospects since 2024.

• Took pride in the variety of fakes he employed on handoffs, an example of the level of detail he puts toward his game.

• Ran a bunch of RPO-style plays in 2025, but many more traditional football plays, though a lot involved going with the first read. He should adapt easily to a West Coast Offense and has the intelligence to work through any other system.

• Didn't finish the 2024 season with Cal after missing their second-to-last game with a reported illness, then sat out the L.A. Bowl against UNLV about three weeks later. That's as close to injured as Mendoza ever was -- there wasn't a single reported injury dating back to his high school days.

• Idolized Tom Brady, even going so far as to say that it was Brady's leadership and influence on the Patriots that made him want to be a quarterback. Mendoza channeled Brady when he began his collegiate career as a third-stringer, forcing himself to be ready at a moment's notice just like Brady was when he got his chance to play.

• Has the maturity of a 30-year-old and the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old. Extremely personable, optimistic, humble and kind. Referred to himself as a "point guard" who focuses on giving the ball to teammates so they can make the play. ... Was the campus ministry president and the school vice president in high school. ... Coordinated a turkey drive while in high school and delivered more than 400 turkeys to families in need in Miami-Dade County. ... Organized a Cuban Relief Service trip with his grandfather. ... Started an organization meant to spread awareness and help children in need. ... Hosted a youth clinic for children with and without disabilities while with Cal. ... Has studied public speaking and carries himself professionally. Started a LinkedIn page while in high school after getting work with a Fortune 500 company, so he could connect with other opportunities, later agreeing to a partnership with them once his profile updates went viral in college. ... Indiana coach Curt Cignetti referred to his whole family as "high achievers." Yes, Mendoza will be the face of an NFL franchise.

Concerns

• Had 48 snaps and six dropbacks under center over three seasons at Cal and Indiana. Mendoza may need some time to get fully comfortable working with his center.
• Was capable of making post-snap reads -- and sometimes did so flawlessly -- but the Indiana scheme asked him to get the ball out quickly, so he had a lot of one-read, quick-throw plays. In time, he should be more than solid at post-snap decision-making.
• Committed to taking care of the football, but that smart-but-cautious nature led Mendoza to pass up open targets downfield for easier, shorter throws.
• Occasionally locked onto a target to the point where defenses took advantage (multiple times in the Purdue game).
• Functional arm strength for sure, but won't be confused with Josh Allen anytime soon. In two seasons, he threw nine passes that traveled 40-plus Air Yards, the longest a 50 Air-Yard Hail Mary halftime heave versus Miami. Perhaps the tell-tale sign is that his passes don't have as much on them when he throws off-platform and doesn't employ his base.
• In fact, any time Mendoza was on the run and/or off-platform his velocity and accuracy waned. He can improve on that through repetition and coaching.
• Mendoza was fabulous when his pockets were clean, but when they weren't, he was a mixed bag. Pass-rush pressure sometimes led to happy feet, rushed throwing motions, panicked moves out of the pocket and un-set footwork as mentioned above, resulting in sub-optimal velocity and accuracy. I wouldn't say Mendoza feared pass rush pressure but he was definitely sensitive to it -- games against Penn State and Ohio State last year are littered with examples. Mendoza should be expected to go through rough patches if the O-line in front of him has multiple flaws.
• There were also a few occasions when Mendoza struggled to sense pass-rush pressure, and sometimes left clean pockets too soon and ran into trouble. This happened much less often but each time was one fewer play he could have made with his arm. Improving how Mendoza handles every element of pass-rush pressure is a must.
• Made some great deep sideline and back-shoulder fade throws over the past two seasons, but his 2025 stats on downfield passing (15-plus Air Yards) outside the numbers aren't great: A 44.2% completion rate on 52 attempts for 10.9 yards per attempt and seven scores. Compared to what he did between the numbers on those downfield throws -- 67.6% completion rate on 37 attempts for 19.5 yards per attempt and 11 touchdowns -- defenses might be of mind to protect the interior of the field. Pairing Mendoza with good perimeter receivers should help open up options for his offense considerably.
• Didn't always keep his eyes downfield when on the move -- when Mendoza decided to run, then that was it, he was running.
• Played great in 2025 but has just the one year with fantastic numbers. Was efficient in 2024 at Cal, but didn't have eye-popping stats and was a little more prone to turnovers. Clearly, he deserves credit for getting better, but it's just the one year where he truly ascended.

Bottomline

It's clear Mendoza is the top quarterback in the 2026 class, but it's debatable whether Mendoza is at or near the top when compared to quarterbacks in the past three classes (not to mention the 2027 class). He has some flaws but almost all of them can be improved upon. He figures to be a very good fit for the West Coast Offense with some RPO principles mixed in, which the Raiders figure to use.

In due time, he could elevate to one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the league, though top-five might be a stretch. As long as his accuracy stays with him and his pass rush management improves, we should see Mendoza make multiple playoff appearances with the Raiders.