No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is set to make his first career start after the Las Vegas Raiders traded quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline.
Cousins, for the most part, played above expectations under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak in Vegas, helping lead the team to four wins in nine games. The 38-year-old threw 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in those nine games, but it was getting clear in recent weeks that his play was starting fall off.
The trade works well for both teams: Minnesota saves their season by adding a formidable quarterback, while Vegas turns an offseason pickup into a third-round pick. Now, the franchise turns to Mendoza, who they hope can lead the offense for the next decade-plus.
Immediately, the ball will look better coming out of Mendoza's hand than it did Cousins'. He has an ideal motion and it pops out of his hand with velocity, letting him hit every throw needed. He'll also be much more mobile in and outside the pocket, as he demonstrated on multiple occasions in college that he can be a real threat with his legs.
It'll take time and patience for the organization and its fans as it's rare that a rookie quarterback comes in and lights it up right away. However, he's one of the most pro-ready QB prospects to come out in a while and looked comfortable in his lone appearance of the season against the New England Patriots a month ago.
In that game, he completed six of eight passes for 48 yards, showing his ability to be decisive and get the ball out quickly. He'll have a very difficult task to start his career: play the Seahawks and Broncos defenses in back-to-back weeks.
Take a look at Mendoza's player props in his first career start below, with odds provided by bet365:
Fernando Mendoza Player Props: First Career Start vs. Seahawks
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