Former NFL scout think Mendoza is a 4th round prospect | Page 11 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Former NFL scout think Mendoza is a 4th round prospect

He is worse than full busts like mariotta, zach wilson or even jj mccarthy so yeah, i agree
 
I see why this guy is a former scout. He probably had Tua over Herbert too. Mendoza is the best college QB that I have seen since Luck. This guy is the 1st overall pick. I’d trade everything to get him but their coaching Raiders would be crazy not to take him. Mendoza makes elite throws and has the best back shoulder that I have ever seen. I really hope the Canes have an answer for this guy and a photo of him with a bong shows up
 
If I’m drafting #1, I’m 100% going Mendoza. He’s shown enough to warrant that spot. Drafting QB’s is a crap shoot with a low probability of success. Especially when you factor in that the team drafting first is doing so because they’re very bad.
 
mlb1399 said:
If I’m drafting #1, I’m 100% going Mendoza. He’s shown enough to warrant that spot. Drafting QB’s is a crap shoot with a low probability of success. Especially when you factor in that the team drafting first is doing so because they’re very bad.
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I think the Raiders will ruin his career.
 
darthchocula said:
There are quite a few cheating theories out there that are interesting to read. Maybe just schizo stuff but it does explain things a LITTLE bit
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Like?

Seriously interested, half of the conspiracy theories ive read in the last 20 years have proven to be true so….
 
darthchocula said:
There are quite a few cheating theories out there that are interesting to read. Maybe just schizo stuff but it does explain things a LITTLE bit
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When things see too good to be true, they probably are…

IU has been historically good, and the justification is ‘great scouting’ and ‘they’re old’.

Cig looks like the greatest coach in college football history, who nobody knew of until he was 62, Nick Saban didn’t identify his greatness when he had him on staff along with every AD in the country. Up until <checks notes> Indiana found this GOAT?

I dunno. Seems a lot like what was happening in Ann Arbor for about 3 seasons where they start randomly outperforming all available and historical data, and then it comes out as to the real reason why…
 
Finsup81 said:
One of the most in depth tweets full of analysis on why he will/wont succeed and his pros and cons…he has him as a 4th rounder which I think is wild:




As a former NFL Scout, I have evaluated 13 games that Fernando Mendoza played in during the 2025 season and have him on my board as a 4th round value in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Everything about him and his process is stiff and systematic going into a league that requires split second situational recognition, flexibility and adaptability.

Think the polar opposite of Caleb Williams when you think of Mendoza.

Williams loved getting out of structure at USC. Mendoza loves rigid systematic structure.

15 problems that do not translate well to the NFL for Mendoza:

1. Works out of shotgun a majority of the time and is not accustomed to working directly under center.

2. Clapping cadence —going to a verbal cadence in the NFL is going to be a real adjustment for him.

3. Has played in a heavy RPO (run pass option) offensive system at Indiana that has “worked” because they have a strong run game (that was ranked No. 11 in the country that averaged 214.8 yards per game per Team Rankings). The “success” of his passing game is fueled by the run game.

4. Can’t read defenses that well post-snap. A lot of his throwing locations in 2025 were pre-determined before the ball was snapped. From there he’s generally a one-to-two read quarterback (11x in 13 games he got to his third or fourth read).

5. Questionable how well he sees the field.

6. Works best from his spot. Meaning he prefers working from where he catches the snap or within the walls of the pocket. He really struggles when the defense moves him off his spot and/or outside the pocket. At one point during the season (after his first 5 games ESPN reported that he had only completed 16.7% of his passes on the move). He looked like a fish out of water outside the pocket.

7. Seems most comfortable throwing outside (less comfortable throwing inside).

8. Inexperienced looking throwing passes at the intermediate route level (10-19 yards). “Best” short (0-9 yards) and deep (+20 air yards) 47.7% on the deep attempts that I charted (21/44).

9. Lifts his back right foot when throwing which causes some degree of inaccuracy in terms of placement (passes can sail high or be overthrown).

10. Telegraphs when and where he’s throwing. Takes extra steps to gather himself in the direction he’s throwing when working from the pocket. His “accuracy” is very dependent on his entire throwing motion. He hard locks for a noticeable extra moment and has to calibrate his entire throwing motion with his target. He pats the ball before he throws, which is another “tell,” that he’s getting ready to release. His eyes are very easy to read. Where’s he’s looking—that’s where he’s throwing. He showed ZERO ability to move or manipulate defenders with his eyes in 13 games this season. His passes look a tad late because of his process. He throws with below average to average anticipation (2.68 seconds time to throw in 13 games per PFF).

11. He’s not good vs. pressure. If his first or second read isn’t there fairly quickly, he tries to bail out by either running or throwing the ball away. He does this to try to disguise the fact that he can’t feel front or backside pressure. In 13 games, PFF had him at 76.5% when he was kept clean and 51.4% under pressure. ***He’s extremely vulnerable to pressure up the middle.

12. He throws an elementary route tree. He primarily throws quick little passes outside, inside slants or deep passes.

13. Throws mostly fastballs and showed little ability to “take something off his passes.”

14. Defenses looked like they were figuring out his “predictability” and his “tendencies” as this season progressed.

15. Does a poor job protecting his body both as a runner and as a passer. Absorbs a lot of contact running (not big on sliding or running out of bounds), and when he throws on the move, he does this funky “jump pass” throwing motion that opens his body up to absorbing heavy contact.
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…but, apart from that, pretty steady all in all?
 
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