Steelers Now
Todd McShay of The Ringer has Indiana dual-threat Fernando Mendoza landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 15th overall in his way-too-early 2026 mock draft. Mendoza continues to be mentioned as a rising player in next year’s draft.
“Aaron Rodgers is a one-year solution, and sixth-round round pick Will Howard looks more like a good career backup than the quarterback of the future. Mendoza isn’t there yet, but I saw a lot of positives — including a snappy release, excellent touch, and a plus arm — in his tape this summer,” McShay wrote.
McShay has four quarterbacks going in the first round — Clemson’s Cade Klubnik to the Cleveland Browns at No. 1 overall, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier to the New York Jets at No. 4, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 and Mendoza to the Steelers at No. 15.
McShay projects that Penn State’s Drew Allar will fall out of the first round, while Texas’ Arch Manning will not declare for the draft.
Archie Manning recently said his grandson, Arch Manning, will not be heading to the next level until at least 2027.
“Arch isn’t going to do that,” he told Texas Monthly. “He’ll be at Texas.”
My favorite thing about Indiana transfer QB Fernando Mendoza is his ability to shred the blitz with quick post-snap decision making. The numbers back it up as well…
-9 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
-8.7 yards per attempt
-2.56 time to throw3rd & 19 conversion at PITT… pic.twitter.com/xraIW4zj25
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) April 30, 2025
Mendoza spent his first three seasons at California with the Golden Bears, where he posted over 3,000 passing yards in a breakout redshirt sophomore campaign. This past offseason, he entered the transfer portal and ultimately chose to take his talents to Indiana, where he’ll suit up for the Hoosiers this fall. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds with a strong arm, Mendoza fits the mold of a traditional pocket passer but also brings underrated athleticism to the position.
Mendoza was Derrick Bell of Steelers Now’s No. 1 QB coming out of early summer scouting.
“The physical tools are intriguing: he’s got good size and a howitzer for an arm, but his advanced feel for the game is what makes him most unique amongst his peers,” Bell wrote. “So many of his best reps last season came in high-leverage situations with a less than stellar supporting cast. He’s accurate, aspires to play on-time football from the pocket, all while still being athletic enough for the next level.
“There’s obviously some projection baked in here with this sort of outlook. He needs to cut down on some of the negative plays, but you’d rather a young player try things and work through mistakes rather than have to be coaxed into aggressiveness down the line. Even if it requires a trade up into the top ten, the Steelers cannot afford to wait any longer to make a splash at...
