Top NFL prospect Fernando Mendoza says team suggested he get arrested to fall in the draft

The projected top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, said a team executive suggested he get arrested so that he would slide down to that team’s pick in the upcoming draft. 

Mendoza is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders, but he is still interviewing with other teams at the NFL combine.

Mendoza revealed the suggestion a team made to him about getting arrested during an interview with CBS Sports on Friday, when he was asked about the most bizarre question he got from teams at the NFL combine.

“It was, ‘hey, maybe you should get arrested,’ and I was a little confused, but then I was like, the slide … so you could slide in the draft,” he said.

Mendoza declined to reveal which team made the suggestion.

“So, hopefully I don’t get arrested,” he added.

Mendoza is the hottest quarterback prospect this year after leading Indiana to the first 16-0 season in modern college football history, winning the national championship and the Heisman Trophy.

He finished the 2025 season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

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Other teams in need of a quarterback besides the Raiders may not find many answers in this draft, after Oregon quarterback Dante Moore returned to college for another year.

Other prospects, including Ty Simpson, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier, are projected to be lower-tier prospects when compared to Mendoza.

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