LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Raiders don’t just hold the keys to the NFL draft. They have a chance to solve the quarterback riddle that has befuddled the franchise for decades.
With the No. 1 pick, they can draft a quarterback capable of changing their trajectory in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
They are not beholden to another team’s draft plans. They don’t have to sweat out the first few picks, hoping their guy falls. They don’t have to part with valuable assets to move up. They don’t have to worry about another team jumping ahead of them and stealing him.
All they have to do is write Mendoza’s name on a card, hand it to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and potentially watch their quarterback problems begin to fade.
That doesn’t guarantee Mendoza will be a franchise-caliber quarterback. Numerous variables will determine that. But if the Raiders are convinced he can be, they should sprint to Goodell and hand him the card on draft night.
As for trading the pick to accumulate more draft capital and circling back to quarterback in the 2027 draft, it sounds fantastic in theory.
But this isn’t Madden, where you can press a few buttons and make any scenario come to life. Short of someone guaranteeing the Raiders will be in position to secure Texas’ Arch Manning or Notre Dame’s CJ Carr next year – and no one can – the move is to make the pick now.
Some would argue the Raiders could use the assets gained by trading this year’s No. 1 pick to trade up next year to get their quarterback.
I would remind them of the 2024 draft, when the Raiders were willing to part with nearly any combination of present and future draft picks to secure Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.
The problem was simple. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots needed quarterbacks just as badly and valued those prospects just as highly.
That’s the danger in trading down this year with the idea of trading up next year. The Raiders have no idea what next year’s draft will look like or how committed other teams might be to quarterbacks.
The point is this: The Raiders hold all the cards right now. They don’t know if they will ever have this level of access to a potentially franchise-changing quarterback again.
Critics argue the Raiders’ offensive line is bad. They say it’s risky to line up Mendoza behind a group that couldn’t protect Geno Smith this season. Build the line first, then draft the quarterback, they argue.
Do those same people not remember how bad the Bears’ offensive line was during Williams’ rookie season? Or how shaky the Patriots’ line was in Maye’s first year?
Williams was sacked an NFL-high 68 times as a rookie. Maye was sacked 34 times. Their teams won a combined nine games.
And yet neither quarterback was broken by those struggles. Both grew from them. More importantly, their teams used free agency, trades and the draft to improve the offensive line in Year 2.
Williams and Maye were far better this season than last and helped lead their teams to the playoffs.
Here’s the rule of thumb: If you have the first pick, it usually means you’re a bad team. Rebuilding around a young quarterback takes time, and early struggles are almost inevitable.
That can’t be the reason you pass on a franchise-caliber quarterback. Be confident, not fearful. Trust your staff and your ability to build infrastructure around Mendoza. If you’re afraid of the challenge, maybe you aren’t cut out for the job.
The Raiders finally have a chance to change the trajectory of their franchise. This is not the time to cower from the difficulty. The days of kicking the quarterback can down the road should be over.
If the Raiders believe Mendoza is the guy, they need to keep the pick.