NFL Scout Feels 'Much Better About' Fernando Mendoza Than They Did Drake Maye
· Yahoo Sports
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Fernando Mendoza is two days away from presumably being selected as the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward was in the same spot one year ago, while New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye ended up being taken as the third overall pick during the 2024 event.
Ward had an up and down rookie season, but Maye, at the very least, has put himself in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Despite Maye's back-to-back Pro Bowl honors, an MVP runner-up finish and Super Bowl berth last season, one NFL scout believes Mendoza is already ahead of where both Ward and the North Carolina product were at this point in their careers.
"I think (Mendoza) has the answers to the test. I loved Cam Ward, but Fernando’s a better prospect than him. There are some physical traits in terms of arm strength and ability to run, where Drake Maye may have a little more, but I feel much better about Fernando than I did about Drake -- and I like Drake," the anonymous scout told The Athletic National College Football Insider Bruce Feldman. "Fernando shows that he knows how to handle adversity. You see it all over the tape: Bouncing back from getting hit against Miami in the title game. Throwing picks, coming back against Oregon and Penn State."
Mendoza was the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman Trophy winner and led Indiana to the College Football National Championship.
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