Fernando Mendoza meets with Raiders at NFL combine as projected No. 1 Pick

INDIANAPOLIS (KTNV) — Fernando Mendoza understands the projection. He also understands the process.

The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback confirmed Friday at the NFL scouting combine that he had a formal interview with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team holding the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft.

“I was lucky enough to have a formal interview with the Las Vegas Raiders,” Mendoza said.

WATCH | Taylor Rocha has more on his talk with Raiders leadership:

The meeting included Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, general manager John Spytek, and a brief phone conversation with minority owner Tom Brady.

“I was able to say a brief hi on the phone to Brady. And so that was very special to me,” Mendoza said. “I look forward to meet him in person, hopefully one day, and learning from him.”

After the introduction, Mendoza said the tone shifted quickly from pleasantries to evaluation.

“They’re very football savvy,” he said. “They taught me the play, and they had their whole progression of how they teach the quarterbacks the play… I’m a very Type A guy, and they had all the details of each play… and that’s something that I really enjoy.”

Mendoza, who led Indiana to a national championship, said the attention to detail has been forged through experience — including narrow losses earlier in his college career.

“Whether it was 49 to 50 to USC and Caleb Williams two years ago… whether it was 38-39 to Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes… I believe a lot of that experience of failing coming up so short has helped me,” he said.

Those setbacks, Mendoza said, reinforced his philosophy on leadership.

“If you wanna lead, you first gotta play well… and then second, it’s having the respect of your teammates through work ethic, through your leadership, through your tenacity, the way you respond to mistakes.”

Once ranked outside the top 100 quarterbacks in his high school class, Mendoza now stands at the podium as the projected No. 1 overall pick. Still, he is careful not to assume anything.

“Right now I’m unemployed. I have no job, so this is my job interview right now,” he said. “I’m just trying to do everything to hopefully get employed on April 23rd.”

Mendoza did not throw at the combine and will instead work out at Indiana’s pro day on April 1.

“I know they have the prospective number one pick, but anything can happen in the draft,” he said. “Whatever team drafts me, I’m going to give everything I got to them.”

The NFL draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh. Until then, Mendoza’s evaluation — and the Raiders’ decision — remains ongoing.