·The Las Vegas Raiders made it official Thursday night, selecting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
·It had been the worst-kept secret in football, and when the moment came, there were no surprises.
·Mendoza is coming off one of the most dominant seasons in recent college football history.
·At Indiana Hoosiers football, he led the program to an undefeated season, a national championship, and earned the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top player.
·Quarterbacks continue to dominate the top of the draft. This is now the 22nd time in the last 33 years a QB has gone No. 1 overall.
·For the Raiders, this marks just the second time they’ve held the top pick, and the first since selecting JaMarcus Russell in 2007.
·New general manager John Spytek made the call after a 3–14 season forced a reset across the organization, including bringing in head coach Klint Kubiak.
·From early in the process, all signs pointed to Mendoza being their guy.
·The Raiders did extensive scouting, with Tom Brady and team leadership attending the national championship game in Miami to watch Mendoza in person.
·He later visited the team facility in Henderson, where he spent time with both Brady and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
·That connection could play a big role early. The team is expected to ease Mendoza into the NFL, potentially allowing Cousins to start while the rookie develops, or setting up a competition between the two.
·Mendoza now becomes the centerpiece of a franchise searching for stability.
·The Raiders have made the playoffs just twice in the past 23 years and have not won a postseason game since 2003.
·His development will be critical to whether this team finally turns the corner, or continues to search for answers at quarterback.
It had been the worst-kept secret in football, and when the moment came, there were no surprises.
It had been the worst-kept secret in football, and when the moment came, there were no surprises.
