Raiders’ No. 1 locked?
Reports say Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is already learning the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense — a strong sign he’s the consensus No. 1 pick with the 2026 Draft weeks away (bleacherreport.com). The move to immerse Mendoza in the system amid swirling draft rumors signals the Raiders’ likely commitment to him as their top selection (bleacherreport.com).
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on the Pat McAfee Show that Mendoza has been working with Brian Griese to install Raiders verbiage and concepts, a timeline Jeremiah compared to Joe Burrow’s pre-draft install. (raidersbeat.com) Mendoza told reporters his formal Raiders interview at the NFL Scouting Combine “was fantastic,” and NFL.com reported he even received a phone call from minority owner Tom Brady after the meeting; his pro day in Bloomington is scheduled for April 1. (nfl.com) Las Vegas owns the No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 draft — the franchise’s first top selection since 2007 — and the NFL Draft runs April 23–25 in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park. (nfl.com) Mendoza closed his 2025 campaign as a Heisman Trophy winner and the nation’s top-rated passer, with ESPN listing 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, six interceptions, 444 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs for the season. (espn.com) Not everyone ranks Mendoza as QB1: ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has publicly named Alabama’s Ty Simpson his top quarterback for the 2026 class, a view echoed by other commentators and generating debate among draft evaluators. (cbssports.com) The Raiders reportedly plan a Top-30 pre-draft visit with Mendoza in April after the combine meeting, a step teams commonly use to finalize evaluations before the April 23–25 draft. (bleacherreport.com)
