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The Sports Junkies debate if Fernando Mendoza will be a bust in the NFL.
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00:00So, number one pick in the draft was Fernando Mendoza.
00:03Magical year for him.
00:05Wins the Heisman.
00:06Wins the National Championship.
00:08Has the scramble touchdown.
00:10Kind of an iconic play.
00:12And then becomes the number one pick for the Raiders.
00:17Do you think he's going to be really good this year?
00:21Really good this year?
00:22No.
00:22I don't even know if he's going to start.
00:23Do you think he's going to be really good ever?
00:25I'm not sure about that.
00:27But for him to be really good as a rookie on a terrible Raiders team.
00:32I know they're trying to turn things around.
00:34But you're not turning that ship around in one offseason.
00:37I don't think he's going to be good this year.
00:40I think you should play him from week one.
00:42Just get him out there.
00:42Get him the experience.
00:43I don't know what waiting seven or eight weeks behind Kirk Cousins is going to do.
00:47As far as his development is concerned.
00:50It depends on how well the guy knows.
00:51Has a grasp of the offense.
00:53Picks all that up.
00:54He seems like a very diligent and smart guy.
00:56I'm going to guess he has a good understanding of the offense by the time training camp rolls around.
01:02Or you would hope.
01:03I don't know how long it takes somebody to learn that kind of stuff.
01:08He's in a tough division too.
01:09He's got to play the Chargers and the Chiefs.
01:11He's got to play the Broncos.
01:13But we have no idea when he's going to start.
01:15Cousins could start for the first six to eight weeks.
01:18They are going to finish last in the AFC West.
01:21That's basic.
01:22I mean, I think that's pretty much a guarantee.
01:24Unless Patrick Mahomes isn't ready and the Chiefs play 15 games without him.
01:29Which I don't think is going to be the case.
01:31Cam Ward played from day one, right?
01:33Yes.
01:34Look, the Titans didn't play well last year.
01:37Cam Ward had a low completion percentage.
01:43But I think you do develop better by playing.
01:46So I'm with you, Cakes.
01:48I don't think that's what they're going to end up doing, though.
01:51I don't think so either.
01:52Because I think coaches get in there and got a brand new coach.
01:55They want to win some games.
01:55And they probably can win more games early with Kirk Cousins under center.
02:01I mean, unless he beats Cousins out in camp, which I don't think is going to happen.
02:05I guess it's possible, but I don't think it's going to happen.
02:07I would expect Cousins to start for, at minimum, a month, if not longer.
02:15Yeah, and I mean, if Cousins is healthy, I mean, he could go for a bit.
02:19You have no idea.
02:21So I feel like Andrew Luck, in sort of like the last 15 years or so, was like,
02:28I can't miss her, like, for sure.
02:30Right?
02:30But, you know, you had questions, I think, about Jared Goff, about Baker Mayfield,
02:35about Kyler, maybe Joe Burrow was pretty close to, feel pretty confident.
02:41Lawrence, people were very confident about, but, you know, it's kind of worked out.
02:45Bryce Young, Caleb, I would put him in that Bryce Young, Caleb Cam Ward.
02:51I mean, Caleb's distanced himself a little bit from those guys,
02:53but I'd put Mendoza in that camp.
02:56Where would Mendoza be drafted?
02:59People think that the draft from a couple seasons ago, which included Caleb Williams
03:03and Jaden Daniels and Drake May, Bo Nix and Pennix, where would Fernando Mendoza go?
03:12Maybe around where Bo Nix went?
03:13Yeah, I would say maybe.
03:14Would he go ahead of any of those guys?
03:16I think so.
03:17Maybe Bo Nix.
03:19He could have gone ahead of.
03:20Because he's bigger than Bo Nix.
03:21He could have gone ahead of Pennix or Nix.
03:23But you wouldn't put him ahead of Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May?
03:27No.
03:27In terms of potential?
03:28No, no, no.
03:28I wouldn't.
03:30He would have probably been the best.
03:31The thing that he has.
03:32At best, the fourth pick or the fourth drafted quarterback there.
03:36The thing that he has, and look, the other three might have him too.
03:40Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May.
03:41One, two, three in the draft a couple seasons ago.
03:45He seems to have that incredible work ethic from everything you hear about.
03:49And I'm not saying that those other guys don't.
03:52They may have it.
03:52But Mendoza, that seems to be one of the biggest things.
03:56Like, he's just a football nerd.
03:59He's big, man.
04:00He's a big dude.
04:01And that's going to work, obviously, in his favor.
04:03But I'm just looking at their depth chart at wide receiver.
04:06It's awful.
04:06I mean, he's going to throw.
04:07Now he's got Brock Bowers.
04:08He does have Brock Bowers, a premier tight end.
04:10No doubt about that.
04:11But he's going to be throwing the ball to Jack Besch in year two.
04:15Trey Tucker.
04:16Jalen Naylor, who was signed away from the Vikings via free agency.
04:20Like, they need to add some firepower at the wide receiver spot.
04:25I feel like for him to have any sort of shot.
04:28And then Gentty has to step up this year.
04:31He's got to be a superstar.
04:32They have to build the entire offense around him.
04:35I feel like.
04:36At least while he's about to.
04:37Well, and then Bowers has to stay healthy.
04:38He was banged up all year last year.
04:40He had knee issue last year.
04:41No, they were trying to say, like, Linderbaum being there is a big deal.
04:45A center in the quarterback.
04:46I mean, I agree with you.
04:48You need some receivers.
04:49I mean, I'm looking at this team has all the earmarks to me of a five, maybe six win season
04:56in 2026.
04:58Like, I don't see how they could get higher than that.
05:01That might be generous.
05:02That could be generous.
05:03They could win three or four games.
05:06I'm expecting.
05:06I think they're going to win more with cousins.
05:08They're going to win more than three or four games.
05:11I just don't know how much they're going to play cousins.
05:13Yeah, you seem to think that they're going to play him for at least a month out of the gate.
05:16Maybe that's the case.
05:17I mean, I would.
05:18What if you play cousins and he actually plays pretty well?
05:21There's no real reason to bench him.
05:23Yeah.
05:24Right?
05:24What if he plays okay and, you know, he's not the reason why they're losing.
05:27Yeah, I don't know what their plan is, but if he's playing well and they're winning some games, why would
05:31you bench him?
05:32Yeah.
05:33I'm not saying.
05:33I mean, even if they lose, but he's playing fine.
05:36Yeah.
05:37You also don't know what you're going to get out of the new head coach, right?
05:42Out of Kubiak?
05:43Yeah.
05:43Of course not.
05:45How do you know what to get out of a first-year coach?
05:49But they've got their franchise quarterback.
05:52Put it this way.
05:53I don't think anybody.
05:54They hope they have him.
05:54I don't think anybody.
05:55Well, they think they do.
05:56I mean, they drafted him 1-1.
05:57I don't think anybody, though, would say he's a guaranteed superstar.
06:01No.
06:02Nobody's going to say that.
06:03I'm not even sure.
06:05I thought he'd put superstar on a list of possibilities for him.
06:09I put him at his possibility, like his ceiling.
06:13It's hard to become a superstar.
06:15It's hard to know.
06:16You just listed a bunch of guys that were drafted.
06:17I mean, Jared Goff has had some good years.
06:19I put him maybe in that realm.
06:20I don't know.
06:21I mean, just think about all the quarterbacks you listed that were drafted 1.
06:25The Raiders' win total, by the way.
06:27It's hard to become a superstar.
06:29Right now, they're listed 5.5 wins.
06:32The only team I can see beneath them right now is the Dolphins are at 4.5.
06:37The Jets are also at 5.5.
06:39So they're toward the bottom of the league.
06:41The Cardinals at 4.5.
06:43You look at the draft in 2023, three quarterbacks were taken in the first four picks.
06:49Two of them shaky.
06:50One we're already out on.
06:52Bryce Young was number one.
06:55Yeah, he showed some improvement this year.
06:58I do not love him.
07:00His moment.
07:00CJ Stroud.
07:02He's had one really good season.
07:04His stock is falling big time.
07:05And then Anthony Richardson.
07:07Oh, well, he's way overdrafted.
07:10Never thought he had a chance.
07:12Barely played.
07:13Drab, are you still hanging on to Anthony Richardson on your dynasty roster?
07:16No, but you guys are all acting like you knew all these things, all these answers before they ever took
07:20a snap.
07:20On Anthony Richardson, I did.
07:22Not everybody knew all these things.
07:23I won't say that on Richardson, but I was never huge on Bryce Young just because he's so small.
07:28Yeah.
07:28Bryce Young, I'm surprised he's struggling.
07:31For sure.
07:32I'm not that surprised that he's struggling.
07:33You're a sizist.
07:34I mean, I'm not a size guy.
07:35When it comes to quarterbacks, yes.
07:38I'm a sizist.
07:39Yeah.
07:40I'm not a size guy quarterback.
07:41I could care less.
07:42Generally, I think my theory, wanting bigger quarterbacks generally works in my favor.
07:48Size matters.
07:49You've got a few guys like Russ Wilson, Drew Brees, short knockers like that, Doug Flutie.
07:54You have a few outliers, but generally...
07:56I don't think Baker's that big.
07:58He's like 6'1".
07:59Generally, your stud quarterbacks fall in this range.
08:026'3", 6'5".
08:05That's kind of your sweet spot.
08:06You can't be too tall.
08:07You don't want to be like...
08:08Dan McGuire.
08:09Brock Osweiler.
08:10Yeah, you can't be Brock Osweiler or Dan McGuire.
08:13You can't be like 6'8".
08:14You can't be freakishly tall and play quarterback at high level.
08:18Tom Brady, though, 6'5", 6'6".
08:19I said 6'5".
08:216'3", 6'5".
08:22That's a good range.
08:23That's my sweet spot.
08:24That's a good range.
08:25Are there guys shorter than that that are great?
08:28Like Steve Young, great quarterback.
08:29He's like 6'1", maybe.
08:31Maybe 6'2".
08:31Maybe 6'2".
08:32What is Bryce Young?
08:33What did he measure at?
08:345'11"?
08:35I think like 5'11", maybe 6 feet.
08:37I think he's listed at 6 feet tall.
08:39I'm guessing he's not 6 feet tall.
08:40I would have bet on Bryce being better,
08:42but I would have bet my life that Anthony Richardson would fail.
08:46Yeah, I mean, he just didn't play enough college football.
08:49Yeah, no experience.
08:50And that's the knock on Ty Simpson.
08:53He's listed at 5'10".
08:55Bryce Young.
08:56Caleb Williams is only 6'1".
08:57Yeah, he's a smaller-ish guy.
09:01I'm not a size-istic quarterback.
09:03I am.
09:04Fully admit.
09:05Yeah.
09:06I want my guy to be 6'3 or bigger.
09:09I don't think if Bryce Young was 2 inches tall, he'd be markedly different.
09:12Jaden Daniels, 6'4".
09:13He'd still be Bryce Young.
09:14Great size.
09:15Drake May.
09:16How tall is Drake May?
09:176'4", 6'5"?
09:18Yeah, he's probably 6'4".
09:20Right there in that wheelhouse.
09:21And Fernando Mendoza's.
09:23Yeah.
09:24So he has the height to succeed.
09:26He has the work ethic to succeed.
09:29I think he'll succeed.
09:30He might, but I think...
09:31Unless his coaching's terrible.
09:32I don't think it's going to be instant.
09:34I don't think he's going to be a guy that once he steps foot on the field, that he's going
09:38to be a 30-touchdown and 8-pick guy all of a sudden.
09:42But I would bet he'd be better than Cam Ward looks so far.
09:46Cam Ward had some moments.
09:47Moments.
09:48But Cam Ward had kind of a situation which Mendoza has.
09:51Like, how much help did Cam Ward have last year?
09:53He didn't have a lot.
09:54Not a lot.
09:54So that's why they signed Wondale Robinson.
09:56Drafted Carnell Tate.
09:58They know that he needs weapons around him to succeed, to flourish.
10:01But here's the thing about Mendoza.
10:03Whenever he starts, he's got Brock Bowers.
10:06It's a great safety valve.
10:07And Cam Ward.
10:08I mean, Cam Ward had Chig, but Brock Bowers is on another level.
10:11By the way, somebody also sent me some...
10:12I think you guys were all tagged on it, maybe.
10:14The Chig highlights.
10:15Mm-hmm.
10:16I mean, he's so markedly better than Zach Ertz.
10:19I mean, it's crazy.
10:21Yeah.
10:22Younger, more athletic.
10:23But this guy's so athletic, so tough after the catch.
10:25I'm telling you, Chig's going to put up numbers if Jade's healthy.
10:27He's going to be a stud.
10:28Yeah.
10:28He's going to be an absolute stud.
10:29He damn near looks like a wide receiver.
10:31Yeah.
10:31I agree.
10:33I think that really helps him.
10:35And that's going to hurt Cam.
10:37Losing him.
10:38Yeah.
10:39I don't care what they added.
10:40They lost him, too.
10:41I don't know who they replaced him with, but I would agree.
10:44But younger quarterbacks like to have that tight end outlet.
10:47Yeah.
10:48You know?
10:48By the way, our buddy, Zach Cruz,
10:51yesterday, while we were having the Chig-Zacherts discussion, he texted me,
10:55Okonkwo had 25 missed tackles forced over the last two seasons.
11:00Zach Ertz, in that same span?
11:02He got zero.
11:03Four.
11:03Oh, he did.
11:05Four.
11:05He made four guys miss.
11:06But that's a pretty big disparity between those two.
11:09I mean, they're not even the same human.
11:11It's night and day.
11:12They're not even the same human.
11:13He's doing spin moves.
11:14Yeah.
11:15He's got the youth and strength on his side.
11:18He's just bouncing off guys.
11:19If I didn't know...
11:20But yet their production was the same, if not better for Zach Ertz.
11:24Zach Ertz is very good at getting open and catching the ball.
11:27If I didn't already have three tight ends on my dynasty roster, I might have picked Chig
11:31during the draft that we're doing.
11:32But then Drab T-shirt would have laughed at me for the next five years.
11:36So I held back.
11:38Didn't do it.
11:38Who were your three tight ends?
11:40Chig kept three tight ends and then used his first round draft pick on a tight end.
11:44Why?
11:45It's a dynasty league.
11:46I have to build for the future.
11:47I have an old guy like Travis Kelsey on my roster.
11:50You might die.
11:50You don't want to win now?
11:53I'm not about winning now.
11:56I'm about building.
11:57I had a shockingly good team last year by accident.
12:01You did.
12:02Yeah.
12:02My team's not very good.
12:03Who carried you?
12:04The old guys like Devontae Adams.
12:07He carried me.
12:08Who else?
12:09Who's your QB?
12:10My QBs are kind of knobs.
12:11Jalen Hurts and who's my guy?
12:14Daniel Jones until he shredded his Achilles.
12:16Okay, but Hurts gives you that dual threat.
12:18You got to start two.
12:19You got to start two quarterbacks.
12:20That's critical.
12:21Super flex.
12:22That kills you.
12:22Got to start two.
12:24I got to find one.
12:25I got to find another one.
12:26I think you can start.
12:27You can move off from Kelsey.
12:29I made a critical error.
12:29Nobody cares.
12:30I cut Tyler Shuck about seven weeks into the season because I was like, this guy never
12:35plays.
12:36He sucks.
12:37And he's actually pretty good.
12:39Horrible move.
12:39I'm a terrible GM.
12:40But that's what you were down to?
12:41You were down to Tyler Shuck when you have two quarterbacks?
12:44No, I had him on my bench.
12:45I wasn't even playing him.
12:46I understand.
12:47But I mean, guys, you would have played him.
12:49He was his third quarterback.
12:50Oh, by the end of the season, I would have pulled my pants down to play him.
12:54I would have been desperate because he was actually putting up numbers.
12:57He loves fantasy football so much.
12:59He uses his feet a little bit, too.
13:00He's got to shift.
13:01What do you think Fernando Mendoza's ceiling is?
13:04I would say his ceiling absolutely would be Jared Goff.
13:07I'm not even sure he could put up those numbers.
13:09I think his ceiling is...
13:10I'm not talking about his first year.
13:11I'm saying his career.
13:13Trevor Lawrence.
13:14Trevor Lawrence-esque.
13:16That's somewhere in the middle of the package.
13:18Yeah.
13:19That's kind of the way I'm forecasting him.
13:20Lawrence had a really good year last year.
13:22He did.
13:23Didn't move my needle.
13:24And maybe Lawrence is just a guy that's taking a little more time for him to hit his peak.
13:29I mean, I don't want to be unfair to the kid.
13:30But he just crushed everybody in college football.
13:38I understand that.
13:40He might have a higher floor.
13:41I understand that.
13:42But my point is, why couldn't he ascend to be one of the top five quarterbacks in the league?
13:46I mean, I'm sure he could.
13:47Top five?
13:47What do I know?
13:48I'm just telling you in my gut.
13:49Could he be...
13:51That's rarefied air, JP.
13:52Top five quarterbacks.
13:52Drake May had a great year this year, right?
13:54Yes.
13:54Now you might not have put him in the top five.
13:56Why couldn't Fernando Mendoza have a Drake May-like year?
14:00I'm not saying this year.
14:01As a rookie?
14:01No, probably not as a rookie.
14:02I mean, Drake May didn't do it as a rookie.
14:05Look, if you think he has top five, top seven...
14:07Mendoza isn't the runner that May is.
14:09He's not the athlete.
14:09No, but he's got a good completion percentage, right?
14:12Sure.
14:12So, yeah.
14:14Jared Goff, Drake May.
14:15Here's where I put him.
14:16I put him Jared Goff ceiling.
14:20I put floor, though, a little higher.
14:23Trevor Lawrence floor.
14:24So, in that realm.
14:26I don't think he's going to be spectacular bust.
14:29Is that going to be...
14:30Probably not.
14:30...Germarcus Russell?
14:31But I don't think he's going to be a guy that, like, in year three or four, you're going
14:35to list the top ten quarterbacks, and he's going to be, like, six or seven or eight.
14:39Right.
14:39I don't think he's going to be...
14:40I think he's going to be like Trevor Lawrence.
14:41I'll give you my floor.
14:42That's a floor.
14:43Yeah.
14:43My floor is Marcus Mariota.
14:46Well, that's pretty low.
14:46He could be a guy who...
14:47That's pretty low.
14:48...drafted super high.
14:50And then ultimately the league decides...
14:54He's a backup.
14:55Backup.
14:55Well, then that's...
14:56That would be a big bust.
14:57That is a subterranean floor.
14:58Marcus started a bunch.
15:00That's a pretty low.
15:00That would be a...
15:01But eventually the league decided backup.
15:03Well, he devolved it.
15:03That would be a huge bust.
15:04I think he's a better passer than him.
15:06Is that the runner he is?
15:07He's a better passer.
15:08Yeah, he's not the athlete.
15:10I'm just looking on NFL.com.
15:12Fernando, his draft prospect grade.
15:14Now, this is just one guy, but this is their main one.
15:17He had the same draft grade as Jaden, higher than Drake Mays.
15:22I mean, he was just a flat-out stud.
15:24Well, that's because of what he did in college, yeah.
15:26I mean, he's...
15:27Of course.
15:27You win a Heisman and you win a national championship and you don't lose?
15:30Maybe he'll be the world's greatest quarterback.
15:33I just don't see it.
15:33Like I said, he could be.
15:34Drab, what's his floor?
15:36I'm rooting for him.
15:38I think...
15:39He's likable.
15:39His floor is just like a...
15:41Trevor Lawrence.
15:42That's a good floor.
15:43I don't know.
15:44I just feel like...
15:45I think that's a ceiling, personally.
15:47No way.
15:48No, a ceiling could be.
15:48Fernando can win Super Bowls.
15:50He may not have 5,000 yards in a season.
15:53Fernando Mendoza, I'll just bet it right now.
15:55He never wins a Super Bowl.
15:57I'll just bet it.
15:58Career bet.
15:59You guys said he could win Super Bowls.
16:02I said he can.
16:03That doesn't mean 50-50.
16:05Do you think he has a bust potential?
16:07No.
16:07He's not going to be a bust.
16:08These guys are going to play in the NFL for at least a dozen years.
16:11Okay, but could he...
16:11He's smart.
16:12Could he devolve into a...
16:14Too hardworking.
16:14He just gets it.
16:15Some guys get it.
16:16Fernando gets it.
16:17Could he devolve into a Mario Ta-type player?
16:20You know what?
16:20I don't think so.
16:21He'll start for eight years.
16:23I mean, that'll be...
16:23Well, Mario Ta-type started like four or five years.
16:26What if he just becomes the guy who the Raiders also decide to play with him?
16:28What if he becomes Kirk Cousins?
16:30The guy who lasts in the league for a long time?
16:32That's an unbelievable career.
16:32Well, that's a great career.
16:33That's a great career.
16:34Yeah.
16:34Yeah.
16:35He'd probably kill it to be Kirk...
16:36Have a Kirk Cousins-esque career.
16:37Of course.
16:38Kirk Cousins made free...
16:39Everybody would.
16:39300 million.
16:40Everybody would.
16:41And forget about the money.
16:42Just the career.
16:43The long jumpers.
16:44He's going to play until he's 40 years old.
16:45Kirk Cousins is going to be right on the verge of the Hall of Fame.
16:47I don't think he's going to go in the Hall of Fame.
16:49He's going to be right on the verge of the Hall of Fame.
16:51He ain't going to the Hall of Fame.
16:52With his numbers?
16:53He's not going to the Hall of Fame.
16:54I told you he's not, but he's going to be right on the outside looking in.
16:58I don't even think he's going to be close.
16:58Yeah, he's going to be on the outside.
16:59You look at his numbers.
17:01I understand, but I still don't think he's going to be close.
17:03You're considered one of the greatest.
17:04It goes beyond the numbers.
17:06You're considered one of the greatest of your time.
17:08That's why, listen, I didn't put him in.
17:09I told you he's on the outside.
17:10He's just sitting right out there in the front door.
17:12He's way on the outside.
17:12Right outside the door.
17:14No.
17:15He's buying a ticket.
17:16He's right outside the front door of it.
17:18298 touchdowns, 131 picks.
17:20That's not getting him in.
17:21How many yards?
17:22How many playoff dubs, Kicks?
17:2344,700 yards.
17:2544,000 yards.
17:26He's going to finish with 350 touchdowns.
17:28I don't know how many playoff dubs he's got.
17:30That I don't know.
17:30I don't know how many of those.
17:311-800-636-1067 if you want to chime in.
17:36Coming up next, the Commanders have a couple of guys they could bring back,
17:40including Bobby Wagner.
17:42Is there a chance?
17:43Is there a role for him?
17:45We'll get into that next here on the Junkies.
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