HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — If the Raiders take Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the NFL draft, as is widely expected, Las Vegas may finally be getting the franchise quarterback who will lead the team to the postseason success it has been seeking for years.
Recent history, however, shows the road to the Lombardi Trophy is far from a straight path, even for teams that land a big name QB at No. 1.
Of the 19 quarterbacks taken first overall in this century, only Eli Manning won a Super Bowl with his original team, and that was only after a draft day detour. Just three others have even made the big game with their original team, each losing in their only appearance.
And when Kyler Murray was released by Arizona last month, he became the fifth straight QB selected at No. 1 who didn’t last until age 30 with his original team.
“It’s hard to identify and evaluate quarterbacks, but probably the bigger picture, these teams all earn the No. 1 pick, so you’re going into a rough situation,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “If you go back and look at a lot of those, there’s been a lot of upheaval and turnover with the coaching staffs as well. So if you don’t get a chance to have continuity to settle in, to be with a talented team, then it’s a major, major stress on your physical and mental toughness.”