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The Las Vegas Raiders have their franchise QB in Fernando Mendoza after selecting him with the No. 1 pick. On April 24, the former Indiana Hoosiers star was in Las Vegas to speak with the local media.

When it comes to Mendoza, the major concern is the quarterback adjusting from an RPO-style offense to the West Coast offense the Raiders will run under new head coach Klint Kubiak.

Mendoza had already begun adapting to a West Coast offense before the Raiders even officially selected him first overall. While speaking with the media, he shared his honest thoughts on Kubiak’s offense.

“I think the part of the West Coast offense that I found the most interesting was the run tracks, especially how important that is off the system of making sure you’re on the right track for outside zone, getting the ball as deep as possible to the running back so you can have the best vision possible, which then helps out the offensive line,” Mendoza told reporters.

“I’m always trying to be my 111th in the offense. I believe it allows the quarterback to be a great point guard. It’s such a great scheme that Coach Kubiak has, and I just want to be my 111th, whether it’s handing the ball off, throwing, making a check, whatever it may be.”

Klint Kubiak on Fernando Mendoza Fitting Raiders Offense

Meanwhile, in the same press conference, Kubiak shared how he sees Mendoza fitting into his offense as the Raiders QB begins transitioning to life as an NFL signal-caller.

“His skill set fits with any offense in professional football,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, the number one thing I love about Fernando is his leadership, the way he relates to his teammates, and his ability to win.

“We’re looking for a competitor to be our quarterback, and he’s got it. He went 16-0 last year with a heck of a team, and he led that group. I love his athleticism and his ability to throw accurately down the field. He’s very accurate. But at the end of the day, he’s a bright, intelligent leader.”

Raiders GM Explains Fernando Mendoza Selection

After the announcement, Raiders general manager John Spytek spoke with team columnist Paul Gutierrez about why it made sense to pick Mendoza.

“We had a great process, and we promised ourselves, the ownership group, and the fans that we would do this the right way,” Spytek said on April 23 after the Raiders made the pick. “And we did not begin with the end in mind. This was not a coronation, but every step of the way, he kept checking boxes. I saw him three times in person — once in the fall and at the playoff games — and he played really well in all those games.

“We had a chance to visit with him at the combine, went to Bloomington to see his pro day, spent time with him, went to dinner with him, and then brought him here to Las Vegas and had a great day with him here, too. He just kept checking boxes along the way, and, you know, he made it pretty easy for us to realize that this is the right guy at the right time for the Raiders.”