EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX -- With the NFL draft three weeks away, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak had nothing but high praise for potential top overall pick and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza."He's a winner, he's accurate, he's tall [and] intelligent," Kubiak said at the annual league meeting on Tuesday.Even though Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have tried to avoid giving away their draft plans, the Raiders are expected to use their No. 1 overall pick on Mendoza, making him the first quarterback they've taken in the first round since JaMarcus Russell in the 2007 draft.Spytek, Kubiak and others from the Raiders organization are expected to attend Indiana's pro day on Wednesday in Bloomington. Spytek said he has enjoyed studying Mendoza during the predraft process. He has a ton of admiration for how Mendoza helped lead the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and a national title."We'll watch him throw the football and get a chance to spend some time with him more than we have," Spytek said. "We've had a couple of touch points, but just looking forward to getting on campus and seeing him operate in his building and having that be a big part of the evaluation."Given the amount of film the Raiders have studied on Mendoza, Kubiak doesn't expect too many surprises to come out of pro day. Still, it's an opportunity to see how Mendoza and the rest of Indiana's participating prospects handle the spotlight."Just seeing what their demeanor is like in a fresher situation," Kubiak said.At the moment, the Raiders' quarterback room consists of only Aidan O'Connell since they traded Geno Smith to the New York Jets. That's expected to change in the coming weeks, as Kubiak hopes to add another veteran quarterback in addition to drafting Mendoza on April 23.Part of the reason is that Kubiak doesn't believe in starting a young quarterback right away."Ideally, you don't want him to start from Day 1," Kubiak explained. "We love him to be able to learn behind somebody...That's in a perfect world. It doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from Day 1, and it's our job as a coach to get them ready to go."Since Kubiak was hired in February, he has leaned on advice from minority owner Tom Brady on all aspects of the job, including the evaluation of the quarterback situation. Mendoza spoke with Brady briefly on the phone during his meeting with Las Vegas at the scouting combine."It's been a growing relationship," Kubiak said of the dynamic between him and Brady. "We text almost every day. He's extremely supportive, giving great advice and talking about his experience in New England [and] things he did in Tampa [Bay]."Spytek likes the idea of the Raiders being able to start and control the draft by having the top selection. However, he doesn't want Las Vegas to be in this position again."It [has] to be the last time we ever have [the top draft choice]," Spytek said. "...It's process over results, and we're going to stick to our process, and we'll know here in three weeks what we decide."
