The formality finally became official on Thursday night when the Las Vegas Raiders took Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall. No matter how things take shape in the short-term, with Kirk Cousins likely to start early in the season, the Raiders have someone who has the makings of a franchise quarterback.
Mendoza's arrival is great for the Raiders in every way imaginable, to the point that it would be easy to just call everyone involved a winner and be done with it until shown otherwise. But let's narrow in on some specifics and name a few big winners (and one key loser) from Mendoza's arrival in Las Vegas.
3 winners (and one loser?) from Las Vegas Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza
Winner: Brock Bowers
Despite lackluster quarterback play thus far in his career, Bowers has managed to be very productive. His second season was set off-course by a knee injury that eventually led to him being shut down for the last two games, but he still had 64 catches and seven touchdowns in 12 games.
Mendoza's prowess on back shoulder throws is well-documented. Trust, rapport, excellent ball placement and the receiver being able to make those plays layer into that equation equally. It's a good thing, then, that that is one of Bowers' strong suits.
Bowers had a top-15 contested catch rate among tight ends with at least 32 targets last season (65.2 percent, according to Pro Football Focus). Among, let's call them "highly-targeted" tight ends (more than 80 targets), that contested catch rate was No. 1 by a fair margin.
Cousins is sure to get a lot out of Bowers if and when he starts games next season. But when looking at the long-term, if not immediately, Mendoza's arrival is great for Bowers.
Loser: Aidan O'Connell
O'Connell's status on the Raiders' quarterback depth chart has been tenuous all offseason. The signing of Cousins was the first thing, and Mendoza being a Raider now officially pushes the one-time starter to No. 3 on the depth chart in what is a contract year.
A team's third quarterback is usually along the lines of a young, developmental-type. O'Connell is not that, so how he fits with the Raiders is at best unclear. He has some level of value if Mendoza and Cousins were to both be injured, but does that potential scenario make him worth hanging onto?
On the other hand, despite the decreasing percentage that he'll be a Raider come Week 1, Mendoza's arrival could end up being a win for O'Connell. Maybe he ends up with a team that has a better opportunity for him to be the No. 2 quarterback, which shouldn't be too hard to find.
Winner: Mark Davis
Davis has obviously not been flawless since becoming the Raiders' principal owner after his father's passing. But the success of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA shows that he can be a successful team owner; it's just a matter of having the right pieces in place.
The Raiders have struggled to find a competent quarterback, let alone a proverbial franchise player, since Derek Carr's departure. Mendoza seems to have the mentality befitting of a franchise quarterback, and his arrival, of course, brings all kinds of immediate positive buzz.
Positive buzz drives interest. Increased interest in the Raiders is good for business. And what's good for business, with more wins hopefully coming as well, is good for Davis in tangible and intangible ways. Plus, he just wants to see the Silver and Black win. Maybe Mendoza gets them there.
Winner: Every Skill Position Player
Bowers stands out as the biggest winner from Mendoza's arrival, so he's deserving of singular mention. But Ashton Jeanty, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Tre Tucker and Michael Mayer cannot be forgotten.
If a notable draft pick isn't used on a wide receiver, Dont'e Thornton Jr. can more comfortably be added to this list of other skill position winners. But the entire offense, which is quite young, should benefit in the long-term from Mendoza's presence.