Fernando Mendoza NFL Draft Projection: 5 Potential Landing Spots for the Indiana’s QB

Fernando Mendoza is the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. According to BetMGM, with odds of -1200, he has an implied chance of 92.3% of winning the coveted award. He had the breakthrough season of a lifetime, leading the Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated regular season and a Big Ten championship. This is the best season in program history, and they could still cap it with a national title win.

If the quarterback decides to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, he would be one of the most coveted players in his class. Where could he end up at?

Top 5 Potential Landing Spots For Fernando Mendoza in The NFL

#5 Los Angeles Rams

Hear us out for a minute. Yes, it’s implausible that the Rams will end up anywhere near the top five picks of the NFL Draft. Yes, they have a very established quarterback who already helped them win Super Bowl LVI. But let’s be honest, how many years does Matthew Stafford have left in the tank? It wouldn’t be that far-fetched that the Rams would trade up to get a potential franchise successor to Stafford. In fact, they’re the ideal team to take the hit of giving up possibly multiple draft picks to get him and still function properly. It would probably be the best path for Fernando Mendoza.

#4 Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns quarterback is the perennial issue of the NFL. The franchise seems continuously incapable of finding a franchise signal-caller, which always leads them to poor performances, which in turn leads them to pick high in the NFL Draft. In 2026, they will likely again find themselves in this spot. There’s one caveat, however: Shedeur Sanders. If he proves to be a reliable NFL starter, they could decide to give him a year as a starter.

#3 New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are another underperforming NFL franchise long in search of a franchise quarterback, in their case, since Drew Brees’ retirement. Like the Browns, they will likely be able to pick high in next year’s NFL Draft. Their situation is a bit like Cleveland’s, in that they might have some hope for Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough to pan out as a starter, although in their case, this seems far more unlikely than in Shedeur Sanders’s case.

#2 New York Jets

The Jets are always in need of a quarterback. More than that, they seem in need of revamping their entire team. To be honest, it seems that they will be fighting for the doubtful honor of getting the first overall pick of the draft. If they have a chance of taking Mendoza, would they skip it? Justin Fields is not the player to take them forward.

#1 Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders share the worst record in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants, at 2-11. The difference between them and the Raiders? They have franchise quarterbacks in Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart. Besides, it would do Fernando Mendoza good to develop under someone like Pete Carroll.

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