Buying stock on Mendoza
Everyone believed the Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick was a foregone conclusion for months now.
That didn’t stop Spytek and his staff from completing their due diligence throughout the pre-draft process.
The general manager got his first glance at Mendoza in person at this year’s CFB National Championship game, where the Indiana defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 27-21. Mendoza finished with 186 passing yards and a goal-line leap to secure the Hoosiers their first national championship in program history.
“The iconic run in particular … the outcome of that game was highly decided on that play,” Spytek said. “And the moment wasn’t too big for him. He didn’t speed up in the moment. … I think my favorite part of it was the combination of awareness of where he was on the field and his willingness to put it all on the line for his teammates.”
According to Spytek, he and the Raiders were sold on Mendoza by the time they arrived for his pro day in Bloomington, Indiana.
“It was less about the throwing part of it, but the way that he interacted with his teammates,” the GM said. “The way that he took charge of that workout … it was his show, but at the same time he was there for them too. I think he made that pretty well known afterwards.”