Tom Brady offers blunt assessment of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza

After retiring from playing football, NFL legend Tom Brady now calls and analyzes games for Fox Sports and is also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

That means he’s part of significant decisions the team will make, including who they will draft first overall in this year’s NFL Draft. So far, most signs point towards the Raiders filling a desperate need by selecting their quarterback of the future, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

After winning the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza achieved another crowning moment as he and the Hoosiers completed a 16-0 season with a National Championship win in Miami, Florida. Brady was on hand alongside Raiders owner Mark Davis to witness that, and to scout Mendonza in person.

Brady appeared as a guest on Friday’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” where Cowherd asked the NFL legend for any takeaways and what he might have observed while seeing Mendoza in person at the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

Brady said he went to the game 30 minutes from where he lives in Miami with his son, “Just to see the environment, the atmosphere, and did it feel too big for anybody?”

“He played tremendous all season, 16-0, leading his team. He’s just a very mature young man, and he’s got a bright future,” the seven-time Super Bowl winner said, suggesting that Mendoza shows humility as a leader.

Brady didn’t hesitate to say that Mendoza can still improve aspects of his game once he gets to the professional level.

“There’s still so much room for development. I don’t care whether you won the Heisman or you’re the 199th pick in the draft. It’s ‘What do you do when you get there?’ and ‘How important is this to you?’” Brady told Cowherd.

He also said he wants to know if a player is “obsessed with the job” and with becoming the best player they can be.

“All these young prospects, I hope they go to places that embrace them completely, that can help them develop into the best player they can be,” he said, adding that he felt that way going to New England as a rookie who became a Super Bowl winner.

The former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback said he knows these players heading into a draft have opportunities to “enhance their family’s life” and significantly “impact a community and fanbase.”

Brady mentioned that he evaluates how well players perform in “tough conditions” and “under pressure,” and ultimately in championship games. Mendoza seemingly achieved the championship with a performance under pressure, highlighted by that fourth-down touchdown he ran in to help his team win.

While he wouldn’t commit to Mendoza as the Raiders’ top pick on Cowherd’s show, many mock drafts suggest it is the obvious move for a struggling Las Vegas franchise. Whether it comes to fruition remains to be seen, but Brady seems impressed by much of what he saw with Mendoza over the past season and at the CFP National Championship Game.

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