Jets GM officially slams door shut on Fernando Mendoza pipedream

It was always a long shot.

Charlie Baduini

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's fairly obvious that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders hold the honor of having that pick, and their desperate need for a quarterback rivals only the New York Jets. However, the Raiders roster is filled with holes, and they could certainly use some extra draft capital to finish out their team.

Is there a world where the Jets make the godfather-level offer that blows Las Vegas away for the rights to that first overall pick?

Likely not, as evidenced by Darren Mougey's press conference on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Darren Mougey slams door shut on potential trade up to No. 1 overall

Mougey was asked about the possibility of the Jets moving up to the first pick, in what would have to be a trade with the Raiders. The GM confirmed he's had conversations with his counterpart in Las Vegas, John Spytek, but couldn't help crack a smile at the notion the Raiders would move off the pick.

"I talk to Spytek and those guys often, as I do with other teams, talking about moving up and moving back, absolutely. We'll talk about all those things...But I don't think that's happening. You can ask Spytek, though."
Darren Mougey

As if there was a chance to begin with, the dream of the Jets trading up to No. 1 is all but dead.

It makes sense. In a class where there's only one legitimate starting option in terms of quarterbacks, Mendoza is uniquely valuable, especially to a team like the Raiders, who have such a massive need at the position.

Of course, in a year where the Jets are sitting at No. 2 overall, it's a one-quarterback class with no clear-cut second option behind Mendoza. It might've been Oregon's Dante Moore, but he decided to head back to school for another season as opposed to entering his name in this year's draft.

Instead, the Jets will have to pivot to the veteran market. Sure, there's a chance they could still select another collegiate passer like Alabama's Ty Simpson or LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, but neither is considered a pro-ready prospect, and would have to sit at least to start the season

New York will have to find a quarterback they can trust to start the 2026 season, a veteran with experience who has the ability to provide at least league-average play. It would be light-years better than what they had in 2025.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.