As the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, Fernando Mendoza has a lot of expectations to meet. Long-suffering Las Vegas Raiders fans are hoping he is the franchise quarterback they have been sorely lacking, though the organization itself has been taking things slowly with the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
Longtime NFL Network ******* yst and former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci knows some things about quarterback play, having worked with the likes of Brett Favre and Steve Young. In a new interview with Alex Withers for Casino.org, Mariucci revealed his feelings on Mendoza and his future.
Mariucci told Withers he's a "fan" of Mendoza and believes he'll be "the man to watch this season."
"I'm watching him closely coming out of this draft to see when he plays and then how well he plays," Mariucci explained. "It's going to be a baptism by fire. It's going to be hard for him but he's my standout pick for the season based on raw talent."
The Raiders have posted four consecutive losing seasons and went 7-27 in 2024 and 2025. The organization is starting over with first-year coach Klint Kubiak, and is banking on Mendoza being a long-term solution.

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