Sho from California asks:
“Josh Allen had lots of questions when he came out about maturity and his arm strength. Based on size, height and many similarities – can you see Mendoza having a similar future as Allen?”
At the 2017 NFL Combine, Josh Allen was recorded to be 6-foot-5, 237 pounds. Fernando Mendoza is currently listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds.
While sharing extremely similar physical attributes, Mendoza and Allen seem to be vastly different quarterbacks.
Allen was considered a project at quarterback with concerns about his accuracy, having completing 56.2 percent of his passes at Wyoming. What made him stand out was his elite athleticism at his size. He clocked a 4.7 40-yard dash speed at the Combine and rushed for 767 yards and 12 touchdowns in his collegiate career. He also showcased glimpses of the big arm strength he’s notable for in the league now, as he ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 6 nationally in passing yards per completion (15.33 yards) in 2016.
As for Mendoza, he considered a more developed passer and decision maker. While leading Indiana to a perfect 16-0 season and their first national championship, the quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns, completing 72 percent of his passes. His mobility shouldn’t be a concern either, with 11 rushing touchdowns in three collegiate seasons.
The Buffalo Bills took a shot on Josh Allen with their first-round pick in 2018 and started to collect their return on investment by his third season in the league with a NFL MVP runner-up campaign. With that being said, even though Mendoza seems more NFL ready coming out of college, the Raiders need to have the same patience with Mendoza’s development if he’s selected first overall.