The 2026 NFL Draft is now just a few days away, and the Indiana Hoosiers figure to be well-represented. Most notably, Fernando Mendoza is overwhelmingly expected to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
A few weeks ago, the Raiders brought in veteran gunslinger Kirk Cousins to their QB room. Cousins has seen a little bit of everything throughout his 14-year NFL career, and he figures to serve as a mentor to Mendoza as he begins his NFL career.
There is still speculation as to whether it will be Cousins or Mendoza as Las Vegas' Week 1 starter, but a lot has to happen before we get to that point. It's clear that Mendoza is fired up about beginning his pro career, and his latest comments show how excited he is to potentially team up with Cousins in Vegas.
Fernando Mendoza has nothing but praise for Kirk Cousins
On Monday, Mendoza joined Kay Adams on the "Up & Adams Show" to discuss all things NFL Draft. He was asked if he'd spoken with Cousins yet, in which he responded that he met with him during his Raiders' Top-30 visit. Mendoza also mentioned that he admires Cousins' playing ability and that he used to study Cousins' game tape during his time at Cal.
"He’s someone who has a very similar play style as me. I was able to watch all of his clips from the Minnesota Vikings, funny enough, when I was at Berkeley. I’d just watch him just to learn from his game: the way he reads defenses, his footwork."Fernando Mendoza
After studying his game from afar in the past, Mendoza could soon have the chance to learn from Cousins first-hand.
"To be able to have this full-circle moment, someone who I’ve studied to potentially get the opportunity to play with, someone who’s a man of God, who’s very cerebral, and had so much success throughout his career, it would be an absolute blessing. Whatever nuggets he would wanna give, I would take in and emulate in my own game. He’s not only a great player, he’s a great leader.”"Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza and Cousins could be the ideal QB combo for Klint Kubiak's first season in Las Vegas
As the Klint Kubiak era in Las Vegas is set to begin, having a QB room consisting of Cousins and Mendoza could be the right pairing to turn things around for the Raiders.
Cousins spent time with Kubiak in Minnesota, as Kubiak was Cousins' quarterbacks coach in 2019 and 2020 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021. That means Cousins is familiar not only with how Kubiak operates, but what he expects from his quarterbacks. In turn, that could help Cousins point Mendoza in the right direction and possibly speed up his development.
Cousins has 174 NFL games under his belt in his career, and has racked up 44,700 passing yards to go along with 298 touchdowns. That kind of experience could bode very well for Mendoza as he sets his sights on making an immediate impact in the NFL.
The NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh. It shouldn't take long to hear Mendoza's name called.
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