To develop Fernando Mendoza, Tom Brady leans on his observations of Peyton Manning

Tom Brady never experienced the position Fernando Mendoza now finds himself in — and it was Brady who put him there.

The Las Vegas Raiders minority owner was a driving force in the decision to take Mendoza first in April’s NFL Draft, and Brady has been a consistent presence during the rookie’s acclimation. But Brady, perhaps the league’s most famous sixth-round pick, is unfamiliar with the burden that comes with being the top selection.

Because of that unfamiliarity, Brady is leaning on his observations of a former foe when mentoring Mendoza: Peyton Manning.

Appearing on an episode of the “Stick To Football” podcast, Brady detailed Manning’s entrance to the NFL to former European soccer stars Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright. Brady said that because of Archie Manning’s professional success, Peyton’s college career at the University of Tennessee and his status as the top pick, Manning carried “a tremendous amount of expectation” upon joining the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. Brady said he believes Mendoza has that same level of expectation with the Raiders.

Brady said the thing he admired most about Manning was that “he always outperformed his expectation.” After a tumultuous rookie season, Manning went on to have a Hall of Fame career in which he won five MVPs and two Super Bowls, and he beat Brady’s New England Patriots three times in the AFC Championship Game over the course of his career with the Colts and Denver Broncos.

“It was tremendous talent that he had, to be able to do that,” Brady said. “And he was very much like me: process-oriented, tough, disciplined, driven, accountable, and I’d say that path is harder than the path I took. My path was challenging in different ways. Peyton, if he failed, everyone saw it right away. And he had to take that on, and he superseded all those expectations because of his will and determination. And I love that about him.”

Mendoza has said that he and Brady prefer to keep their conversations private. But the Raiders quarterback said during the team’s media day that his idol has been trying to instill that same will and determination he saw in Manning.

“What he said as a quarterback is you need to be the most everything,” Mendoza said. “You need to be the most competitive. You have to have the most leadership. You need to be the toughest, mentally and physically. You’ve got to embody all these things and lead by example before getting the respect from your teammates, in order to lead effectively. That really resonated with me.”

While his situation is similar, Mendoza won’t endure the exact challenges Manning faced as a rookie. Mendoza doesn’t have the same weighty last name or pedigree as Manning. Mendoza probably won’t be tasked with starting his entire rookie year because the Raiders seem set on starting veteran Kirk Cousins to begin the season and letting Mendoza develop slowly. Manning was thrown right into the fire his first season and threw 28 interceptions, a rookie record that still stands. And as Brady noted, Mendoza has something Manning didn’t have: The greatest quarterback of all time in his corner as a sounding board for advice.

Brady feels Mendoza is ready for the expectations that come with his draft slot. He said since the scouting process began, Mendoza “did an incredible job of making it very clear to everyone that he was the best prospect for the next level.” Because Mendoza was the best quarterback and the most developed prospect available, Brady said, “It was very natural for us to select him.”

Now that Mendoza is a Raider, Brady said the rookie’s draft status is irrelevant.

“Now you’re just a member of the team,” Brady said. “Now you have to develop him. And I think most people, and probably a lot of fans, they think just because you get a player on the team, well, now he’s going to be great. No, there’s a lot of development that still needs to happen.”

Brady added that Mendoza’s top-pick billing will make him a target for many players who are like he once was — late-round or undrafted guys determined to outshine the star. Whether Mendoza can survive the competition within and outside the Raiders will depend on his development and drive, things Brady feels are necessary for a quarterback’s success.