Raiders NFL draft: Takeaways from Fernando Mendoza’s pro day

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 19: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on during the fourth quarter against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images It felt like just a formality at this point, but expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has crossed another checkpoint ahead of the 2026 NFL draft , completing Indiana’s Pro Day on Wednesday, April 1.

Unsurprisingly, the NFL Network cameras caught Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak in the background of the workout, as Spytek and Kubiak got another close look at the anticipated future of the franchise. Also, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko and quarterback coach Mike Sullivan were present, as well as a large contingent of the organization. The expected @Raiders crew at Fernando Mendoza Pro Day: GM John Spytek, HC Klint Kubiak, Dir.

of Scouting Brandon Yeargan, Asst GM Brian Stark, VP Player Personnel Brandon Hunt, VP FB/Opps Mark Thewes OC Andrew Janocko, QB Coach Mike Sullivan — Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) April 1, 2026 Seeing as the former Hoosier is expected to be moving to Las Vegas at the end of the month, let’s dive into a few takeaways from his final throwing session in Bloomington. Under Center One of the biggest concerns about Mendoza’s transition to the next level is that he has very little experience taking snaps under center, primarily operating out of the shotgun in college. However, he went back and forth between being in the gun and traditional dropbacks during his pro day.

It was pretty clear that this has been a point of emphasis in Mendoza’s pre-draft training, as he looked smooth and had good footwork when operating under center. That was good to see and especially impressive for someone who doesn’t have much experience executing the technique. Of course, it’s a controlled environment where no defense is on the field, but the comfort level he showed on the dropbacks is encouraging.