Fernando Mendoza is projected to join the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick in next month’s Draft. That has not stopped others from coveting him and his talents, however.
Speaking during the recently concluded combine, New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey discussed the possibility of trading up for the Indiana quarterback. The East Rutherford, New Jersey-based franchise had sought to use the No. 2 pick on Dante Moore, only for him to decide to remain in Oregon for the 2026 season:
“I talk to (Raiders GM John) Spytek and those guys often, as I do with other teams, talking about moving up and moving back. Absolutely we will talk about all of those things, but I don’t think that’s happening. You can ask Spytek though.”
On Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take”, Peter Schrager supported this notion. However, his comments did not sit well with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who lambasted the “hot garbage” organization for even entertaining such thoughts on Tuesday’s episode of “First Take” (quotes are in the first video of the slideshow below):
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“The Jets are the equivalent of cheese and meats stuck in a suitcase at 90-degree weather. The stench that emanates from that franchise is that damn bad. … Why should we subject him to that kind of imminent misery?”
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Blockbuster trade proposals land Fernando Mendoza potential WR1
Drafting Fernando Mendoza is not the only major storyline for the Raiders in the 2026 offseason.
The Silver and Black also has to contend with a disgruntled Maxx Crosby, who has been speculated to want out ever since he was shut down near the end of the 2025 season. With that in mind, Lou Scataglia, a columnist for the FanSided vertical NFL Spin Zone, has two trade proposals that each send the star edge rusher elsewhere and net the franchise a potential WR1 for Mendoza to feed.
The first is with the Chicago Bears, who give up DJ Moore. The former Carolina Panther could be on the way out after significantly regressing during the first two years of the Caleb Williams era, and the franchise might want to focus on Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III as its outside tandem of the future.
The other is with the Baltimore Ravens, who offer them Zay Flowers. The 2023 first-round pick has been his team’s leading receiver since he entered the league and provides a massive upgrade to a corps that lost Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguats in a midseason trade in 2025.