Fernando Mendoza's pro day at Indiana could not have gone better for the soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. While the news of the Raiders signing Kirk Cousins to a five-year deal may sound troubling for Mendoza's draft stock, in reality, new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak just wanted a veteran arm in the QB room.
With all of that aside, Mendoza really impressed at his pro day, making stellar throws and showing that he has worked on playing under center this offseason, something he will do a lot more in the NFL.
After his pro day performance, of course, Mendoza was interviewed by ESPN's Louis Riddick, and when asked about his mindset heading into the draft, Mendoza delivered the perfect answer, as he always does.
"No offense to the pro day, but my goal is to be the best quarterback in September, the start of the season, rather than being the best quarterback today, April 1st, for the Pro Day," Mendoza said.
"My goal is to be the best quarterback in September, the start of the season, rather than being the best quarterback today April 1st for the Pro Day."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 1, 2026
—Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza on his mindset for Pro Day 🏈 pic.twitter.com/z2wHxkUEmp
Fernando Mendoza is keeping his eyes on the NFL season rather than performing at the Pro Day
Mendoza hit the nail right on the head with his mindset about where he is developmentally. It does the National Champion quarterback no good to be his best right now when the NFL season doesn't start until September.
There is still a lot for Mendoza to learn about being in the NFL, some of which he will learn in camp when he joins his new team. While looking good on the pro day is important, Mendoza's spot is pretty locked in the NFL Draft.
If anything, Mendoza was making sure he made his receivers look good to help raise their draft stock as well. Having a mindset of always getting better is something that will serve Mendoza very well heading into the NFL, where it is not like the college ranks by any means.