The Las Vegas Raiders have a new guy calling the shots.
Klint Kubiak, a rising star as an offensive coordinator, will look to bring back life to an offense that averaged the fewest points per game last season (14.2). He’ll most likely have a new quarterback to do so. The Raiders have the No. 1 pick, and Fernando Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be the first player off the board.
That’s why Kubiak may have changed his tone on him. Just days after being noncommittal about Mendoza, Kubiak echoed a somewhat different sentiment in an interview for the Raiders’ YouTube channel.
Klint Kubiak is a fan of Fernando Mendoza
“My exposure is very limited,” Kubiak said. “I saw him play the national championship game, I saw the interviews he’s given after those games and how team-oriented he is. I look forward to getting to know the player better, but obviously a really talented guy with a bright future. We’ll see. We’ll see where it ends up. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to get to know him before that time comes.”
Mendoza is a somewhat polarizing prospect. While he’s head and shoulders above everyone else in this class, he doesn’t strike as the type of “can’t-miss/generational” prospect we’ve seen in recent years.
Even so, unless the Raiders find a way to land a franchise quarterback with a trade involving the No. 1 pick, it’s hard to envision any scenario where they won’t take him. It’s the dawn of a new era in Sin City, and even if Maxx Crosby bolts, the fans should be excited for what’s to come.