Nick Saban’s high praise for Raiders’ new quarterback Fernando Mendoza proves Las Vegas made the right decision
The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza, and he’s one of the smartest players in the entire NFL Draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders have drafted their 2026 rookie class, and every pick they made was pretty good. However, none of them is as polarizing as the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. The rookie quarterback is set to be the franchise guy for the Raiders.
They finally got their guy, and even if he doesn’t start right away, Mendoza will be a star in this league. Many may argue that he is not a player deserving of the No. 1 overall pick, but that this class is just weak. The best coaches of all time would disagree. Sure, he may not have many elite physical traits, but the mental side is just as important.
Nick Saban talks highly of Fernando Mendoza
“The guy is a football junkie… He grinds ball,” all-time great College Football coach Nick Saban said during the 2026 NFL Draft. “If I had gotten the opportunity when we interviewed him, I’d offer him the damn QB job if I were a coach. That guy is as smart as anybody I’ve ever been around.”
Cousins is still good enough to start Week 1. Cousins, even after starting as a backup in Atlanta in 2025 and playing 10 games, performed well in advanced metrics. For instance, he posted an 89.5% Catchable Ball Percentage (seventh-best among players with 100+ attempts) and a 78.1% On Target Percentage (sixth-best), demonstrating strong accuracy. But, at some point, Mendoza will take over.
Because of how smart he is and how accurate he is with his ability to layer throws, they simply won’t be able to keep him on the bench for long. It only helps in Mendoza’s favor, too, that he has essentially already begun an installation of the offense, or scheme, or something similar—whatever you want to call it, so it’s legal.
Mendoza worked with former 49ers QB coach Brian Griese this offseason. He’s going to come into rookie minicamp and training camp and not be nearly as behind as most rookie quarterbacks usually are. However, in the same breath, you can say the same thing about Cousins. He played in this exact scheme, just with different terminology, when in Minnesota.
Mendoza is the franchise guy, and it’s only been proven so far. Saban can see talent and has an eye for the game as good, if not better, than anyone ever.
