Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders have a Week 16 matchup against the Houston Texans, but this week’s mailbag is primarily focused on the 2026 NFL draft and the quarterback class, especially Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Q: If the Raiders wind up with the second pick in the draft, and a team such as the Giants has the No. 1 pick, should they trade up for the No. 1 pick to get the quarterback so no other teams can jump up ahead? I personally say no since we have a lot of needs to fill, but what say you?
A: If any organization feels that a quarterback prospect can be the future of the franchise, I’m always going to be in favor of making whatever deals necessary to get said player. The position is too important to let a price tag get in the way of getting your guy.
Yes, the Raiders have plenty of needs, but a good quarterback can make up for those flaws. Meanwhile, the other scenario is a lot more difficult, where a team has a good roster overall but is deficient at the most important position on the field.
In other words, I’d be perfectly okay with the Raiders trading up for Mendoza in a scenario where they aren’t picking No. 1 overall.
A: Yes.
Are we forgetting that Jared Goff was the first overall pick, led the Rams to playoffs three times in five years, including a Super Bowl appearance, made the Pro Bowl twice and never had a losing record with Sean McVay as head coach in Los Angeles? Would you not take Goff right now? And Kirk Cousins was a pretty good starter in Washington and Minnesota.
Also, I think Mendoza has a better arm than those two, which has been their biggest flaw in the NFL. Mendoza is more like Matt Ryan, in my opinion. I really don’t understand why some people are so down on him.
Q: It’s looking like next year’s QB draft class will be better than this year’s. Do you see any QB that is equal or better than Mendoza coming out next year? I ask because if the Raiders end up with the 1st pick, they can trade down to maybe the Jets. The Raiders would more than likely still have a top ten pick this year. They can load up on draft capital and pair a couple of high draft picks next year, if necessary, for a top QB.
A: Just. Take. Mendoza.
I feel like we do this every year, saying that next year’s quarterback class is better than this year’s. So much can change in a year, especially at that position, that it’s a disingenuous claim to make, in my opinion. It’s the NFL draft version of the “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” idiom.
I don’t think counting on the 2027 class to be like 2024, which was historic in how quickly quarterbacks flew off the board, is a smart...
