The second round has arrived in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Eight teams remain after an intriguing first round that saw a pair of 3-1 comebacks, a few upsets and some notable injuries. It’s Knicks vs. 76ers and Pistons vs. Cavaliers in the East, and Spurs vs. Timberwolves and Thunder vs. Lakers in the West.

Second-round action tips off Monday night. Who will make it to the conference finals? That’s what our experts are here to predict. Let’s get to it.

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Botkin: 76ers in 7. This is the marquee second-round matchup, and I’m going with what I believe at this point is the more talented team. This assumes a healthy enough Joel Embiid for the duration, which is a dangerous, if not outright irresponsible assumption, but life is for the adventurous. The Knicks aren’t going to have anywhere to hide Jalen Brunson in this series and Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Paul George are going to be hunting him relentlessly. Maxey is built for this kind of series. He’s going to take over the Garden.

Gonzalez: Knicks in 7. The Knicks were the better team at both ends of the floor this season, but what if Embiid had been healthy (healthier? Healthy-ish?) and Paul George hadn’t been suspended for 25 games? What seed might the Sixers have gotten with a fully functioning roster led by that blur of a backcourt? As the Celtics just found out, that makes for a formidable opponent. Should be an entertaining series between two teams (and fan bases) that don’t dig each other.

Herbert: 76ers in 6. This feels like a coin flip to me, and the safe pick is New York, given how the Knicks finished their series against Atlanta and the fact that Joel Embiid was hobbling around near the end of Game 7 in Boston on Saturday. I’ve decided not to be safe, though, and instead allow myself to imagine Embiid continuing the remarkable run he’s on. If he’s more or less healthy, this is the most fascinating matchup of the bunch

Maloney: Knicks in 6. If Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to play like they did in the Celtics series, the Sixers’ entire outlook changes. It’s just hard to have faith that will happen. The Knicks looked unbelievable to close out the Hawks and will carry that momentum into the second round.

Quinn: Knicks in 7. These teams may have played two years ago, but the rosters look quite different. Karl-Anthony Towns poses a different set of defensive problems for Philadelphia than New York’s old centers did. Will he be able to draw Joel Embiid out of the paint, or will the 76ers put a wing on him as Atlanta did? New York seemed to figure out how to beat that approach by using Towns as a hub late in that series. Tyrese Maxey’s speed poses a big problem for New York as it did two yeras ago, but with VJ Edgecombe and Paul George now on the team, there are far fewer places to hide Jalen Brunson. Expect the Sixers to pull him into as many screens as possible. Ultimately, New York’s edge comes down to durability. It’s easier to imagine a Knicks team that has been mostly healthy all year surviving seven games than Embiid doing so.

Salerno: Knicks in 6. This is the second-round series I’m most looking forward to watching. Just some good ‘ol fashion hatred between the New York and Philadelphia fan bases. I’ll keep a particularly close eye on Joel Embiid vs. Karl-Anthony Towns. Those two have history dating back to 2019, when Embiid and Towns beefed on social media.

Wimbish: 76ers in 7. This is going to be the best series of the second round… hopefully. Joel Embiid has been downright dominant, and while the Knicks have more size than the Celtics had to challenge him, Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t have the defensive chops to actually stop Embiid. The Sixers have the depth to push this series the distance, as well as a versatile offense that is finally healthy and humming at the right time. The Sixers are the underdogs, but I’m leaning on an offensive unit that also features Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe, all of whom could take over a game at any point.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Botkin: Spurs in 6. I’m going to assume Anthony Edwards returns by Game 2. In that scenario, the Wolves are the sneakiest team remaining in these playoffs. Nobody puts them in the elite class, and yet they’ve been to two straight conference finals and just smoked the Nuggets. That said, the Spurs are another level. I picked them to win it all, so I’m certainly picking them to win this series.

Gonzalez: Spurs in 5. Anthony Edwards is questionable for Game 1, and there’s a chance he returns from a knee injury sooner than later. But this is still a lot to ask of the hobbled Wolves. No Donte DiVincenzo. Ayo Dosunmo is day-to-day. And even if/when Ant comes back, what version of him will be on the court? Will he be limited physically or on a minutes restriction? Meanwhile, the Spurs have had their feet up for the better part of a week waiting to clobber their second-round opponent. Feels like Wemby and Co. are on a glide path to the conference finals matchup everyone outside of Minnesota and L.A. wants to see.

Herbert: Spurs in 5. After the Denver series, going up against San Antonio’s defense is going to be a shock to the system for the Wolves. If they were healthier, I’d predict that this would go longer, but I have no idea what version of Anthony Edwards they’re going to get.

Maloney: Spurs in 5. I would have picked the Spurs in this matchup even if everyone was healthy, but Anthony Edwards might not be back until Game 3. The Timberwolves were able to get past the Nuggets despite Edwards’ absence, but the Spurs are a significantly better defensive team.

Quinn: Spurs in 5. This would have been a far more interesting series if Minnesota had been at full strength. They just don’t have enough offense with Anthony Edwards hobbled. He’s questionable for Game 1, an encouraging sign that he’ll make it back at some point. That should give the Timberwolves enough juice to take one of their home games. Otherwise, this is a mismatch. Minnesota’s upset over Denver relied on an absolutely porous Nuggets defense. It’s hard to imagine Jaden McDaniels torching the Spurs to that degree. The common defensive strategy against Victor Wembanyama this season has been to put a wing on him and a center on Stephon Castle. McDaniels and Rudy Gobert should execute that strategy as well as anyone could. But it won’t matter if they’re scoring in the 80s every night.

Salerno: Wolves in 7. If Anthony Edwards can get healthy in time, give me Minnesota in 7. I liked what I saw in the last series vs. Denver. After going chalk for the entire first round, this is the upset I’m going with.

Wimbish: Spurs in 5. Victor Wembanyama going against his countryman in Rudy Gobert will be a treat. But this is yet another series ruined by injuries. Anthony Edwards could miss multiple games with a hyperextended knee, and Donte DiVincenzo is out with an Achilles tear. Ayo Dosunmu even got banged up in the first round. I just don’t see the Wolves being able to push this series without Edwards fully healthy.

Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Botkin: Pistons in 7. It’s possible that Detroit just saw its toughest Eastern Conference opponent in the first round. It’s also possible the Magic stink so badly at offense that they were actually the only team the Pistons can beat in this field. I don’t have much confidence in either of these teams, to be honest, so I’m going with the best player, and that’s Cade Cunningham.

Gonzalez: Pistons in 7. I’ve been stumping for the Pistons all season. This is mostly me being stubborn. All the issues and problems that their critics warned about were on full display during the unsightly first-round series against a Magic team that had no business making them work that hard. But ugly as it was, the Pistons still found a way to win. If they want to get past the Cavs, they have to slow down Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley. Cade Cunningham has to be the best player on the floor. Tobias Harris can’t disappear. Jalen Duren has to be worlds better than he was in the first round. It would help if Duncan Robinson hit a normal number of open 3s. And Detroit has to turn this series into another physical, low-scoring rock fight. Avert your eyes.

Herbert: Cavs in 6. Both of these teams came much closer than most expected to losing in the first round, and I’m not feeling as good about either of them as I did heading into the playoffs. I’m picking Cleveland, though, for a pretty simple reason: I have more confidence in its offense than I do in Detroit’s.

Maloney: Pistons in 7. The Pistons pulled off a 3-1 comeback to avoid an extremely disappointing first-round exit, and surviving that challenge should lift a weight off their shoulders. The Cavaliers have more firepower than the Magic, but they cannot match Orlando’s defensive toughness and physicality. In some ways, this could be an easier series for the Pistons.

Quinn: Cavs in 7. Cleveland just faced and struggled with a somewhat similar opponent in Toronto. Detroit just barely eeked through a series against a team that couldn’t score. Cleveland’s offense is orders of magnitude better than Orlando’s, but the Cavaliers lack that same rugged, defensive identity. Cleveland doesn’t have the same roaming, defensive weapon Orlando had in Jalen Suggs to punish Ausar Thompson’s lack of shooting, but Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will live in the paint in this matchup and dare Detroit to make jumpers. Jalen Duren has to be better in this matchup, but given some of the struggles Allen has had with playoff physicality in the past, maybe he can be. In the end, I just favor offense over defense. I think Cleveland is going to have an easier time getting stops when it counts than Detroit will have generating buckets.

Salerno: Pistons in 7. Cade Cunningham was incredible in Game 7 vs. Orlando. I would be shocked if this series doesn’t go at least six games. Give me Detroit to advance to the ECF. Cleveland will need the best version of Donovan Mitchell after he didn’t have his best showing against Toronto.

Wimbish: Pistons in 7. A lot has to go right for the Pistons to win this series. They’ll have to study the heck out of what the Raptors did to slow Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Tobias Harris has to be consistent. Jalen Duren cannot be a ghost. Cade Cunningham has to be the best player on the floor. OK, so writing it out makes this seems even less likely that it’s going to go Detroit’s way. But I just watched a Cavaliers team sputter to the finish line against the Raptors. The Pistons, meanwhile, figured things out as the series wore on against Orlando. So I’m going with Detroit (also because I picked them to advance to the NBA Finals).

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Botkin: Thunder in 4. Luka Dončić and Jalen Williams are both dealing with hamstring injuries, but Williams is a much safer bet to be back in this series. And, besides that, he’s damn near a luxury for Thunder. Dončić, on the other hand, is pretty much everything to the Lakers in a series this demanding. Calling back-to-back sweeps for OKC.

Gonzalez: Thunder in 4. In the penultimate week of the regular season, the Lakers were cruising. They had won 15 of 17 games. Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves were all healthy. Then they went to OKC, suffered their worst loss in years, and Dončić and Reaves got hurt. The best the Lakers can hope for here is that everyone makes it out healthy.

Herbert: Thunder in 4. Even with Jalen Williams out, OKC’s defense and depth is going to be a lot for Los Angeles to handle. I hope Luka comes back and makes this interesting, but I’m not counting on it.

Maloney: Thunder in 5. The Thunder are just better, and have a far greater ability to withstand Jalen Williams’ absence than the Lakers do to withstand Luka Dončić’s absence. Even with Austin Reaves back, how are the Lakers possibly going to score enough in this series?

Quinn: Thunder in 4. There is absolutely no shame in this. The Lakers have already vastly overachieved just by reaching this point. But they’re not going to be able to score on Oklahoma City without Luka Dončić, who is still week-to-week. The Lakers needed wild early series shooting variance, Kevin Durant‘s injury and quite a bit of Houston dysfunction to escape the first round. Oklahoma City is better, deeper and more disciplined. This could’ve been a competitive series, but with their best player still hurt, the Lakers just don’t have much hope here.

Salerno: Thunder in 5. Even if Luka Dončić were healthy, I would still give OKC the edge. The Rockets won the statistical battle against Los Angeles, but the key difference was shotmaking. The Thunder will make the Lakers pay in that department. It’s hard to count out LeBron after he helped his team pull off a major upset against Houston, but the Thunder are a different beast.

Wimbish: Thunder in 5. The Thunder aren’t the Rockets. The Lakers aren’t just going to win games because the other team lacks an offensive identity or has injuries to star players. Austin Reaves being back helps matters. But without Luka Dončić for the entirety of this series, I feel this will be over before Dončić can even return.

The Orlando Magic fired head coach Jamahl Mosley on Monday after the team blew a 3-1 series lead to the Detroit Pistons and was eliminated from the playoffs.

Mosley took over as the Magic’s head coach before the start of the 2021-22 season after spending 14 seasons as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. He was 189-221 with Orlando, making three playoff appearances but failing to get out of the first round.

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Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley directs his team against the Detroit Pistons during the first half of Game 6 in the first-round NBA playoffs in Orlando, Fla., on May 1, 2026. (John Raoux/AP)

He finished second in NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2024 as the Magic were 47-35 following a 34-win season in 2022-23.

“We’re grateful to Jamahl for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”

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Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley cheers on his team during the first half of Game 5 in the first-round NBA playoffs against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit on April 29, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)

Orlando was in great position to upset the No. 1-seeded Pistons in the first round. The Magic had three games to get the job done, but couldn’t pull it off. In one of those games, the Magic saw a 24-point lead evaporate at home. In Game 6, Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots.

The Magic built a core around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane, who are all under contract for the foreseeable future. The organization clearly feels that a new voice on the bench may help elevate the franchise.

“It’s been (an) absolutely amazing journey with these guys,” Mosley said. “Their ability to grow, communicate … we’re going to fight until the final horn goes off. And that’s what you’ve seen for a majority of the five years.”

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts at referee Curtis Blair during the second half of Game 5 in the first-round NBA playoffs against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit on April 29, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)

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Mosley will finish as the third-winningest coach in franchise history. He was behind Brian Hill (267) and Stan Van Gundy (259).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

There’s a hole at Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in Los Angeles patterned on an architectural template — the Lion’s Mouth, a classic feature defined by a meddlesome bunker fronting much of the green. You’ll find versions of it at select private clubs, and at marquee public courses where tee times require months of advance planning. Most days at Maggie Hathaway, you can walk up and get on.

It’ll cost you, though. Green fees max out at $9.50.

Maggie Hathaway is a nine-hole par-3 course that has been in operation since 1962, but not always under its current name and not always in its current form. It was originally known as the Jack Thompson Golf Course before being rechristened in 1997 in honor of the woman who helped make public golf in Los Angeles the melting pot it is today.

Hathaway was a blues singer, actress and civil rights activist who organized pickets of segregated courses and petitioned L.A. public officials to open county layouts to everyone. She wasn’t alone on the front lines of that fight, but she was a leader, and the course that bears her name is a monument to a worthy battle won.

Glen Porter never met Hathaway, who died in 2001. But he knows her namesake layout about as well as anyone. It was where he learned the game some 20 years ago, long before he came aboard as general manager. Some things haven’t changed since he first set foot on property. Now, as then, the course gives way to sweet views of the city, sweeping west across downtown and on to the Hollywood sign in the distance. Junior rates remain $1, the same fee Porter paid as a kid.

In that sense, the place feels as familiar as ever. In other ways, though, it’s dramatically transformed.

“Like night and day,” Porter says.

In late March, Maggie Hathaway reopened following a comprehensive renovation that delivered a new routing, new turf, new irrigation, new green complexes, and sandy waste areas, along with an expanded and relocated practice range and a large, unruly putting green.

Once soft and spongy, the terrain has been remade into a firm, fast playground, with the same tight-mown grass varietals golfers enjoy at Los Angeles Country Club, and a fresh injection of strategic intrigue.

“The greens used to be small, flat circles,” Porter says.

Today, they are rumpled, flanked by speedy runoffs and shot through with nods to classic design features, from a double-plateau green on the 4th hole that borrows from the work of C.B. Macdonald to a flip-wedge 9th hole whose green was inspired by the par-3 10th hole at Pine Valley.

In its prior iteration, Maggie Hathaway was light on bunkers. Sand now figures prominently, in waste areas that lend a rustic aesthetic and green-side bunkers that compound the consequences of errant shots. One such hazard is the Lion’s Mouth, lurking at the front of the 2nd green.

Like other recent headline-making muni renovations, including the Patch in Augusta and the Park in West Palm Beach, the Maggie Hathaway project was propelled by a public-private partnership. A fundraising effort, led by members of Los Angeles Country Club, brought in a total of $21 million. The county contributed another $8 million, and Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner — the architects who reworked both courses at LACC in advance of the 2023 U.S. Open — pitched in their design services for free.

One measure of the payoff can be seen on the tee sheet. The course now sees some 180 rounds a day, Porter says, roughly double the pre-renovation volume. And with a clubhouse and training center under construction, it will soon have even greater gravitational pull. Already, the First Tee has a home at Maggie Hathaway, as do local public-school programs, though the course is a magnet for old-timers, too. Many of the regulars came of age in the game here decades ago. Some drifted away but have found their way back. Porter is one of them. The $1 junior who grew up to run the place.

He never crossed paths with Maggie Hathaway. But he knows enough about her to know she would be pleased.

The Mittal family, led by Lakshmi N Mittal and Aditya Mittal, reached a definitive agreement to acquire the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in partnership with Serum Institute of India Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla from Manoj Badale and his consortium.

The transaction values the franchise at approximately $1.65 billion and includes the Rajasthan Royals’ Indian Premier League (IPL) team, along with Paarl Royals in South Africa and Barbados Royals in the Caribbean.

Following completion, the Mittal family will hold about 75 per cent stake, while Poonawalla will own around 18 per cent. The remaining 7 per cent will stay with approved existing investors, including Badale.

Approvals pending; deal expected by Q3 2026

The acquisition remains subject to approvals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the IPL Governing Council, and other regulatory authorities. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.

Lakshmi Mittal, Aditya Mittal, Vanisha Mittal-Bhatia, Adar Poonawalla and Manoj Badale will join the board of Rajasthan Royals.

“Badale is set to continue in a supporting role, acting as a bridge between the existing management and the new ownership,” according to the media release.

Mittals cite Rajasthan roots, IPL growth appeal

Lakshmi Mittal highlighted his personal connection with the state and the sport.

“I love cricket and my family is from Rajasthan, so there is no IPL team that I would rather be part of than the Rajasthan Royals,” he said in the media release.

Aditya Mittal said the IPL had rapidly emerged as one of the biggest sporting leagues globally and described the Royals as one of its most iconic teams.

Vanisha Mittal-Bhatia said the family’s association with sport and India made the investment “an honour and a privilege”.

Poonawalla said he looked forward to supporting the franchise’s long-term growth.

Why Kal Somani-led US consortium missed out

The group, which had attracted high-profile global investors such as Walmart heir Rob Walton — owner of the National Football League’s Denver Broncos — and Sheila Ford Hamp of the Detroit Lions, struggled to translate interest into binding financial commitments.

People aware of the development said the proposed $1.63-billion transaction faced delays due to gaps in capital commitments, regulatory complexities, and difficulties in structuring the consortium.

These challenges prevented the group from meeting timelines required to close the deal, allowing the Mittal family-led consortium, backed by Adar Poonawalla, to emerge as the preferred bidder.

Advisers and transaction details

The buyer consortium was advised by Latham & Watkins, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Trilegal as legal counsel, Goldman Sachs as financial adviser, and Price Waterhouse & Co as tax adviser.

Raine Group managed the sale process and acted as commercial adviser to the seller consortium, alongside Deloitte, EY, Macfarlanes, and AZB Partners.

Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant mentioned owner Sanjiv Goenka at toss ahead of the IPL 2026 encounter against Mumbai Indians on Monday. It has been a tough campaign for LSG till now as they have won just 2 out of their 8 matches and face an uphill battle when it comes to qualifying to the playoffs. The Pant-led side need to win all of their remaining matches and depend on other results to make sure that they finish in the Top 4. Pant was asked about their form during toss and he said that Sanjiv Goenka is extremely passionate about the game as well as the team before adding that the team wants to improve their form in order to deliver consistent results for the fans as well as their owner.

“We would have done the same. In Wankhede it’s a good wicket to bat on and you can chase any target. (How does a week off help? Did it help to kind of get together?) It definitely [did], a lot of reflection, what we can do and what we can do as a team and as an individual. One thing we always found out, it’s been a tough season for us and there is no running away from that, but one person for us has the most difficult time was our owner Mr. Goenka, he’s one of that guy. Everyone knows how passionate he is about cricket and about his team. But at the same time we let down our fans down. The only promise is from this break is, we’re gonna give our 200%, try to bring that happiness back and hopefully we can do it for our owner and the fans for sure.”

“(Having a good record against MI) Records help but at the same time when you’re clearing your mindset, when you’re free, when you’re raring to go everything comes together. (Changes for you?) We have three changes. Josh Inglis comes in and Mukul goes out and Raghuwanshi is making his debut and bowling will decide later,” Pant said at the toss.

Playing XIs:

Lucknow Super Giants: Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Akshat Raghuvanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav

Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma

(With IANS inputs)

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After 26 quarters of basketball, the Raptors and Cavs were tied 718-718 in total points scored for the series. It had been a very underwhelming series for Cleveland up until that point. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden had been very quiet, and shots weren’t falling for the rest of the role players.

Someone had to step up to save the season for Cleveland, and it was Jarrett Allen. The man best known for the lights being too bright saved the Cavs’ season with a 14-point, 10-rebound third quarter. He took over this game for Cleveland, being the catalyst for a 38-19 third quarter, which Cleveland rode to a 114-102 finish.

More importantly than Allen showing up when it mattered, the Cavs finally played like the team we expected them to be this entire series. Instead of settling for bad isolation sets and last-second threes, the Cavs took it to the Raptors and would not let up with consistent rim pressure.

Cleveland has been out-physicalled by playoff teams during the Mitchell era, and they won this game by being the more physical team on both ends. The Cavs out-rebounded the Raptors 40-33, but more importantly destroyed them on the offensive glass 20-7. They also did a great job getting in the paint, shooting 37 free throws in this one.

Harden didn’t have an amazing game, but late into the second quarter, he started putting his head down and driving into the lane. He finished the game with 13 free throws and was a big spark to Cleveland’s offense whenever the game seemed to get tense. Most importantly for Harden, he only had 2 turnovers. He limited the possessions for a Raptors team that thrives on transition basketball.

Round two should be much different for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell has to show up for the Cavs. Detroit has far fewer physical and talented defenders to throw at him. If he can’t attack the doubles they send at him, I’ll have questions on what he can ever provide for Cleveland in the playoffs.

It was an ugly first round for Cleveland, but I love their matchup with Detroit heading into the Eastern Conference Semis. The Cavs have a far more explosive offense than Orlando, and should be able to exploit a Pistons team that showed zero signs of offensive production outside of Cade Cunningham. Dean Wade did a tremendous job of slowing Cade in the regular season. If he can do that again, I think Donovan could end his streak of zero Conference Finals appearances in 2026.

Fernando Mendoza sky-rocketed to the top of every NFL pundit’s draft board during the course of the 2025 college football season as the Indiana Hoosiers standout won the Heisman Trophy and led the school to a national championship.

Mendoza’s status stayed clean as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. He will be tasked with returning the franchise back to glory under head coach Klint Kubiak and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is set to serve as Mendoza’s mentor.

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza runs through a drill during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

A detractor came out of the woodwork on Monday as an anonymous ACC coach told ESPN that he didn’t believe Mendoza had the “NFL traits.” The coach competed against Mendoza when the quarterback was tossing the pigskin around for the Cal Golden Bears.

“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach told ESPN. “They’re all back-shoulder (throws). That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.”

FERNANDO MENDOZA, THE NO 1 PICK OF NFL DRAFT TO THE RAIDERS, TASKED WITH RETURNING A LEGACY FRANCHISE TO GLORY

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up during a rookie minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nev., on May 2, 2026. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

Mendoza showed grit and determination with some of the throws he made at Indiana. One that comes to mind is the game-winning touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State.

Cooper made the catch and an incredible toe-tap for the touchdown with 36 seconds left in the game, which kept Indiana’s dream season alive.

Raiders general manager John Spytek said last month he nixed any talk of trading the No. 1 pick because he was sure Mendoza would be their guy.

“I think any coach is excited to work with a big, athletic, talented thrower that is extremely smart and a very driven worker, and that’s been our experience with Fernando,” Spytek said. “That’s a great starting spot for any quarterback.”

It’s the heart that Mendoza showed throughout the season, including in the national title game against the Miami Hurricanes, that made him an attractive prospect for NFL teams.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, attends a news conference at the Raiders Headquarters in Henderson, Nev., on April 24, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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He had 3,535 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes in his lone season at Indiana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.