Overview
- Las Vegas can clinch the top pick with a Week 18 loss to the Chiefs and currently sits in position to select first overall, reinforcing league-wide assumptions they will target a quarterback.
- Tom Brady praised Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza on national TV after the Rose Bowl, highlighting his leadership, relatability, and resilient path through college stops.
- An anonymous assistant GM told Jordan Schultz they would like Mendoza in Las Vegas and stressed pairing him with a young offensive-minded head coach alongside pieces like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
- NFL voices including Tom Pelissero, Pete Prisco, and Jordan Rodgers now view Mendoza as the likely No. 1 pick, citing his Rose Bowl performance and a thin quarterback class.
- Countervailing evaluations persist, with ex-NFL scout Daniel Kelly issuing a fourth-round grade and Albert Breer noting Oregon’s Dante Moore or trades could affect who goes first.