The Las Vegas Raiders will soon be free from the shackles of below average quarterback play.
Like many others, Gennaro Filice of NFL.com believes Las Vegas will finally address their quarterback position. The Raiders have unsuccessfully tried to do so in many ways over the past few seasons. Mendoza’s addition will be the most legitimate shot they have had at fixing the issue.
More notably, once the Raiders select Mendoza with the top pick, the talented quarterback will immediately join a club that only includes two other players in league history. Mendoza will become one of only three players to have accomplished a feat he will soon complete.
“Since the start of the common draft era back in 1967, just two players have received the Heisman Trophy, won a national title, and been selected No. 1 overall in the ensuing offseason: Cam Newton and Joe Burrow,” Filice said.
“Mendoza is about to join the club. Not only is he the clear QB1 in this class, but he feels like a fit with these Raiders. Mendoza’s maniacal obsession with the game will undoubtedly endear him to Tom Brady, and the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder’s skill set seems like it’ll play in Klint Kubiak’s scheme.
Earlier this offseason, Raiders General Manager John Spytek noted how big of an opportunity the Raiders have in front of them this offseason. Las Vegas entered the offseason with the No. 1 pick but in need of a head coach. They filled their vacant head coaching position by hiring Klint Kubiak.
Drafting Mendoza is the next step in the Raiders’ rebuild process. Mendoza will join Kubiak and an offense that already includes Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, respectively.
“The league is littered with when you get the top pick right, those guys are franchise-altering players. There’s probably no more important hire in an NFL organization than the head coach. They’re the daily guy. They set the vision, they set the cadence. They are what touches the players every day and demand excellence from players,” Spytek said.
“The players are the ones that have to go out there and do it. And the more good players you have, and the better person at the helm that you have steering that ship, my experiences is, the more successful you are.
“And you look at, are there two more important hires in an organization than a quarterback and a head coach? I think we probably all would agree that those two men usually steer the ship, and that’s out in front of us right now.”
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