Is the dream still dead? Or did Las Vegas’ new coach just open the door a little bit?

The New York Jets have the second overall pick in April’s 2026 NFL draft. Their current standing has led many to believe the team won’t be able to take Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Instead, the Raiders (with the top overall pick) are expected to select Mendoza.

That belief was only compounded by Vegas’ hiring of Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as its head coach.

Kubiak, as an offense-minded individual, is expected to bring a quarterback of his choice to the organization. Mendoza is the top quarterback this draft cycle, so the fit does make sense.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the dream is dead for the Jets, especially after comments from the Raiders’ new coach.

Jets’ draft dream

In his introductory press conference as the Raiders’ coach, Kubiak made it clear that, while Mendoza was a top talent, there wouldn’t be any public conversations about the team’s decision yet.

“A really talented guy, with a bright future,” Kubiak said of Mendoza. “We’ll see where he ends, but we got a lot of work to do to get to know him before that time comes.”

That doesn’t exactly sound like a coach who has a surefire idea of what his team plans to do in the draft.

Now, let’s be fair. Just because the new head coach of a team makes non-committal comments about a prospect in the media, it does not mean they will not draft the player. Kubiak has a lot on his plate when it comes to filling out a staff and fixing the organization in free agency. His comment should be considered nothing more than coachspeak heading into the 2026 combine.

It’s a safe bet to assume that Mendoza will still be the Raiders’ pick regardless of Kubiak’s comments.

But everyone and their mother knew that the Jacksonville Jaguars were taking Trevor Lawrence when he was the top player available in 2021. No one doubted the Cincinnati Bengals were taking Joe Burrow in 2020.

When there’s a “can’t miss” quarterback prospect coming out of college, teams aren’t going to play around. Mendoza, for as special a season as his final year was in Indiana, is not the kind of prospect comparable to those top individuals.

He’s still a great prospect, but he does objectively have trouble dealing with pressure from the pocket. While it did not bite Indiana during their national championship run, NFL defenses could feast on that kind of issue.

A team like the Jets, with a strong offensive line, knows it can limit pressure on a young quarterback like Mendoza. The Raiders, with major needs along the line, cannot feel the same confidence.

Again, this isn’t to say the Raiders will pass on Mendoza. Most likely, the Jets are still going to have to figure out if they want to go with the best player available when they make their pick at two.

But Kubiak’s comments at least crack open the door to the idea that Las Vegas could argue they aren’t a quarterback away from competing.

And it might be worth punting on the quarterback position in a year where there isn’t a “can’t miss” prospect.