Draft: Raiders Take Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders opened the 2026 National Football League draft by taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick Thursday night in Pittsburgh. (nfl.com) (raiders.com) Mendoza was the expected choice for months after leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game. He finished 2025 with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, six interceptions and seven rushing scores. (nfl.com) The 22-year-old transferred from California to Indiana before the 2025 season and turned one year in Bloomington into the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award. NFL.com listed him as the top-ranked quarterback in the class. (nfl.com 1) (nfl.com 2) For the Raiders, the selection is tied to a longer reset. The club secured the No. 1 pick in January, its first time holding the top selection since 2007, after another losing season. (nfl.com) The franchise has made two playoff appearances in the past 23 seasons and has not won a postseason game since its Super Bowl run in the 2002 season. Since Derek Carr’s departure, Las Vegas has used seven starting quarterbacks over three seasons and gone 15-36. (nfl.com) General manager John Spytek said Mendoza’s appeal went beyond the stat line, calling him “really smart” and saying “it’s about winning” and accountability. Raiders.com said Mendoza became the fifth Heisman Trophy winner drafted by the organization. (nfl.com) (raiders.com) The pick also placed Mendoza in a short historical lane. NFL.com said he joined Joe Burrow and Cam Newton as the only players in the common draft era to win the Heisman, win a national title and then go No. 1 overall the following spring. (nfl.com) Round 1 continued Friday with teams leaning heavily on offensive line help and early report cards already landing. NFL.com’s Day 1 snap grades called Baltimore’s selection of Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane a B+ and Carolina’s pick of Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling a B. (nfl.com) But the night belonged to the Raiders and the quarterback they believe can end their cycle at the position. After months of projection, Fernando Mendoza is now the face of Las Vegas’ rebuild. (nfl.com)