The Las Vegas Raiders, who count Tom Brady among their partial owners, have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, which means prospect Fernando Mendoza might find himself working with the greatest quarterback of all-time in the near future.
“He was able to play for so long and have such a long career,” Mendoza said during an interview with Kay Adams. “I would love to work out with him one day and see what he does with the TB12 Method.”
Brady played 23 seasons for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made his “TB12 Method” famous with a focus on pliability and other efforts that surely contributed to his longevity in the league.
All he did during his age-44 season in 2021 was lead the league in passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43). He followed that up by throwing for 4,694 yards in his age-45 season.
While it is unrealistic to expect Mendoza or any other quarterback to replace the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s production or overall longevity, the Raiders will surely have high expectations for the Indiana product if they do make him the No. 1 overall pick.
The latest mock draft from B/R’s NFL Scouting Department projected Las Vegas to select Mendoza with that top pick, and its scouting report listed his pro comparison as “Matt Ryan with mobility.”
Considering Ryan played 15 years and built a resume that included a league MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, four Pro Bowl nods and 10 seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards, the Raiders would certainly take that level of production from Mendoza.
And it would be anything but a surprise if Brady works closely with Mendoza given his role as a partial team owner, which will only elevate the expectations surrounding the potential No. 1 overall pick.
