QB1: Mendoza locked in

Fernando Mendoza enters Thursday night as the expected first pick in the 2026 National Football League Draft, with Las Vegas widely tied to the Indiana quarterback. (cbssports.com) CBS Sports called the top pick a “foregone conclusion” on April 23 and projected Mendoza to the Raiders before Round 1 begins at 8 p.m. Eastern in Pittsburgh. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah also put Mendoza at No. 1 to Las Vegas in his final mock draft published Thursday. (cbssports.com) (nfl.com) Jeremiah wrote that Mendoza held the top spot “from start to finish” in his mocks, and he said the Raiders set up the move by signing center Tyler Linderbaum and quarterback Kirk Cousins. CBS Sports separately slotted Mendoza first in a quarterback-only mock published April 20. (nfl.com) (cbssports.com) Mendoza’s rise started with a 2025 season that ended with both major quarterback prizes in college football: the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. ESPN reported in February that he led Indiana to its first national title and then declared early for the draft. (espn.com) Indiana said on Dec. 13 that Mendoza became the first player in program history to win the Heisman Trophy. ESPN reported that he led the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket. (iuhoosiers.com) (espn.com) His production backed up the draft buzz. Sports-Reference lists Mendoza as the 2025 Heisman winner and an All-American after a college career that included stops at California and Indiana. (sports-reference.com) The draft case for Mendoza hardened through the spring process, not just the winter awards circuit. CBS Sports wrote after his pro day that his size, arm talent and composure reinforced his status as the top quarterback in the class. (cbssports.com) Not every part of the first round is settled, but the top appears unusually stable a few hours before the draft. CBS Sports reported that uncertainty starts after Mendoza, with debate shifting to the New York Jets at No. 2 and possible movement farther down the board. (cbssports.com) If the projections hold Thursday night, Mendoza will go from Indiana’s first Heisman winner to the first player selected in the draft in a span of a little more than four months. (iuhoosiers.com) (cbssports.com)