Raiders pick Fernando Mendoza No. 1
- The Las Vegas Raiders used the No. 1 pick in the 2026 National Football League draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on Thursday night, making him the franchise’s first first-round quarterback since 2007. - Mendoza entered the draft after a 16-0 season at Indiana, winning the Heisman Trophy and finishing 2025 with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, six interceptions and seven rushing scores. - The pick gives new coach Klint Kubiak a quarterback to build around after Las Vegas went 3-14 in 2025 and traded Geno Smith in March. (espn.com)
The Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. (raiders.com) (nfl.com) Mendoza is the first quarterback the Raiders have taken in the first round since JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 overall in 2007. He told ESPN after the pick that the Raiders’ coaching staff fit his style of play. (espn.com) The 22-year-old arrived from Indiana after one of the most decorated seasons in school history. He led the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record, the program’s first national championship and its first Heisman Trophy. (nfl.com) (heisman.com) Raiders.com said Mendoza completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2025. NFL.com said he added a 41-6 touchdown-to-interception line and seven rushing touchdowns during the unbeaten season. (raiders.com) (nfl.com) Indiana beat Miami 27-21 in the College Football Playoff national championship game on January 19, and Mendoza scored on a fourth-quarter run that helped seal the title. NFL.com said Raiders owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady were on the sideline that night. (nfl.com) The selection resets the Raiders at quarterback after a 3-14 season in 2025. ESPN reported that Pete Carroll was fired after one season and that Geno Smith was traded to the New York Jets in March. (espn.com) New coach Klint Kubiak now gets a rookie passer the front office believes fits his offense. Spytek told ESPN Mendoza is big, accurate and athletic enough for the boots and keepers Kubiak likes to run. (espn.com) The immediate question is whether Mendoza starts right away. ESPN reported he will compete with Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell, while Spytek said the Raiders would prefer not to open the season with a rookie if a better option emerges. (espn.com) Kubiak said at the combine that quarterback play depends on defense, special teams and the run game, and ESPN reported the Raiders still need roster help around Mendoza. The No. 1 pick gives Las Vegas its clearest long-term answer at the position since Derek Carr’s exit after the 2022 season. (espn.com)
