Mendoza: Brady's mentorship with Raiders would be 'fantastic'

Fernando Mendoza says he would be thrilled with the opportunity to be mentored by Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady if the franchise drafts him with the first overall pick.

"Yeah, I mean, who hasn't admired Tom Brady?" the quarterback said Friday at the NFL combine, according to Eric Edholm of NFL.com. "I mean, more Super Bowl rings than anybody. ... So, that opportunity would be fantastic.

"Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time, by a wide margin, and to be able to have the opportunity to be mentored by him, would ... mean so much."

Brady officially became a Raiders minority owner in 2024, and the team owns the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. If the Raiders select Mendoza, it would mark the first time they've spent a first-round draft pick on a passer since taking JaMarcus Russell in 2007.

"I was lucky enough to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders," Mendoza shared. "It was a fantastic interview. Coaching staff was in there. We went over some of my previous plays and did plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting."

Mendoza led Indiana to its first national title in school history and won the Heisman Trophy in the process. He said he'd be "grateful" if taken with the first pick or even "the 199th pick" - Brady's draft slot in 2000.