NFL-Mendoza could anchor Raiders rebuild, Steinberg says

April 22 : Famed sports agent Leigh Steinberg said quarterback Fernando Mendoza has the leadership, maturity and physical tools to help revive the Las Vegas Raiders if the team makes him the expected No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's NFL Draft.

Steinberg said Mendoza, who led Indiana to a 16-0 record and a national championship last season, has the qualities teams seek in a quarterback - one capable of carrying a team through adversity and serving as the foundation of a roster for the next decade.

"The key to winning in football today starts with the franchise quarterback," Steinberg told Reuters.  

"And Mendoza is someone a team can build around." 

He said Mendoza combines size, arm strength and accuracy with poise in pressure situations, including the ability to lead late scoring drives.

"Games are coming down more and more to the last drive, the last quarter, the last play," Steinberg said. "He's got a track record of doing that."

Steinberg also praised the 22-year-old Heisman Trophy winner's character and leadership, calling him "preternaturally mature," while cautioning that even highly drafted quarterbacks need time and support to adjust to the professional game.

"It's not only drafting him, it's building a successful career arc that's important," Steinberg said. "A young quarterback will make mistakes and it's important not to get despondent."

REBUILDING THE RAIDERS

If Mendoza is selected by the Raiders, the pick could come to mark the start of a new chapter for a team with one of the most passionate fanbases in sports, who are coming off a dismal 3-14 season, he said. 

"I think one day we'll look at the rebuilding of the Raiders as starting with him being drafted," he said.

Mendoza has said he will not attend the draft in