Chargers have a looming Raiders nightmare in store with Fernando Mendoza

The Los Angeles Chargers are in for some trouble.

Over the past few weeks, Fernando Mendoza of Indiana has cemented himself hands down as the first-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders, by virtue of their 3-14 record, will get the right to select him.

In the College Football National Championship, Mendoza proved exactly why he's worthy of such an honor, defeating the University of Miami 27-21. He wasn't as insanely effective as he was throughout the rest of the playoffs, going 16-for-27 and amassing just 186 passing yards and no touchdowns through the air. Yet he put the team on his back when it counted.

It appears the Raiders, who have long been stuck in purgatory, will soon have a budding star on their hands. The AFC West could become exponentially more competitive as a result.

Fernando Mendoza put the league on notice in the National Championship

Based on his stats alone, Mendoza is an easy selection at first overall. This season, he amassed 3,349 passing yards on a 73% completion rate, adding 41 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

However, it is his intangibles that make him so appealing as a prospect. He is willing to use his legs and his size to extend plays on the ground, and he has a distinct feel for how to navigate a collapsed pocket.

Just look at this play from last night, in which Mendoza dodges multiple rushers and smacks a defender with his shoulder before toppling into the end zone to give Indiana the touchdown that would ultimately win them the game.

Las Vegas has the offensive weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty to complete a quick turnaround if the right head coach and quarterback are brought in. Mendoza completes half of that equation already.

The Raiders defense, moreover, is already in a position to be competitive. They finished with just the 14th-least total yards allowed this season, and they have budding talent on that side of the ball.

The Raiders, even with Mendoza, are the least of the Chargers' worries in the AFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs will be set for a resurgence in 2026, and the Denver Broncos look like genuine Super Bowl contenders moving forward.

If the Raiders can enter the playoff mix in year one or two with Mendoza, however, Los Angeles will be forced to face off against three formidable teams twice a year.

If he can do stuff like this against a bruising University of Miami defense, what can he be when he gets acclimated to the NFL?