Raiders pick Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders opened the 2026 National Football League Draft by taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. (raiders.com) (nfl.com) Mendoza arrived as the draft’s most decorated quarterback after winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy and leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and a national title. He had previously played 20 games at California before transferring to Bloomington. (raiders.com) (heisman.com) The pick gives the Raiders their first first-round quarterback since JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 overall in 2007. ESPN reported Mendoza told the network after the selection, “What a great organization, great legacy.” (espn.com) (usatoday.com) Round 1 did not stop at quarterback. Nine offensive linemen were drafted, which NFL.com called more than a quarter of the 32 first-round picks. (nfl.com) (cbssports.com) That run up front reshaped the board for teams picking later Thursday and for clubs entering Day 2 on Friday. CBS Sports said the first round featured eight trades, with linemen coming off the board from Utah tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9 through Utah tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28. (cbssports.com 1) (cbssports.com 2) Minnesota supplied one of the night’s bigger surprises by taking Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks at No. 18. The Vikings’ official draft page confirmed the selection after national mock drafts had often linked them to other positions. (vikings.com) (si.com) Houston made another defining move late in the round, trading up from No. 28 to No. 26 to draft Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge. USA Today reported the Texans sent picks No. 28, No. 69 and No. 167 to Buffalo in the deal. (houstontexans.com) (usatoday.com) Rutledge’s selection fit the larger pattern of teams paying heavily for protection, especially around established quarterbacks. Houston Public Media and Fox 26 both said the Texans targeted interior help for C.J. Stroud by jumping two spots. (houstonpublicmedia.org) (fox26houston.com) The draft now moves into its final day with Mendoza already tied to the league’s most quarterback-hungry franchise and the rest of the board thinned out up front. Thursday started with a quarterback at No. 1, but it kept circling back to the linemen. (nfl.com) (raiders.com)