Daniel Jeremiah sets high expectations for Fernando Mendoza before his first NFL snap

It would take something pretty jarring for Fernando Mendoza to not get selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be the top overall pick, and the Raiders have even started laying the ground work to build their franchise around the Hoosier Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Predicting where every Indiana Hoosier will be picked in the 2026 NFL Draft

However, Mendoza's timeline to a starting NFL gig is still unclear. Raiders GM John Spytek has hinted at not rushing a young highly-drafted QB, and the signing of Kirk Cousins makes for an intriguing upcoming quarterback battle in Vegas.

Whether or not Mendoza will be Las Vegas' Week 1 starter, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has plenty of confidence that the Hoosier gunslinger can be immediately successful in the NFL.

Daniel Jeremiah gives rave review of Fernando Mendoza

Jeremiah appeared on NFL+ on Wednesday, one day before the NFL Draft is set to begin, to discuss what he expects of Mendoza early on in his professional career. The seasoned analyst gave a rave review booming with confidence that Mendoza can be a successful starting QB from the jump.

"Mendoza is a very accurate thrower with excellent size, toughness, and enough athleticism. He operates out of the (shot)gun, he'll lean heavily on the RPO game, has really, really quick hands, makes good decisions, and he's very accurate on those quick throws. If you want to see him make more NFL-type throws, it's really helpful to study his third-and-7-plus reel. That's where he shows the velocity to drive the ball in the seam, and also displays pinpoint placement on those back-shoulder throws. He'll occasionally hold the ball too long, hunting big plays in those situations. He can clean that up. He's insanely tough, routinely hanging in the pocket and absorbing big hits. He picks his spots as a runner, but he's logged some huge conversions. See the National Championship Game."

Daniel Jeremiah

As Levi Dombro from Just Blog Baby points out, Raider fans expect Mendoza to be their franchise guy for the long haul, but expecting so much success early in his career would be a dream. Dombro even mentions that Raider Nation is open to the possibility of Mendoza starting the season behind Cousins.

It's clear that Jeremiah doesn't share that same feeling. Jeremiah seems to have all the confidence in the world that Mendoza can make a seamless transition from the college game to the NFL level. The Raiders have a chance to make a franchise-altering pick on Thursday, and Mendoza appears to be the guy they want.

Hoosier football fans will be rooting for Mendoza no matter when he gets the starting nod. The 2026 NFL Draft gets started on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET. It shouldn't take long to hear Mendoza's name called.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow