No.1 pick Mendoza

Las Vegas used the No. 1 pick Thursday night to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, handing the Raiders the first move in their latest rebuild. (nfl.com) The pick came after a 3-14 Raiders season in 2025, the worst record in the AFC West and one that gave Las Vegas the top selection in the 2026 draft. Mendoza became the first quarterback the franchise has taken in the first round since JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 in 2007. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Mendoza arrived as the most decorated quarterback in this class after transferring from California to Indiana for 2025, winning the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 13 and then leading the Hoosiers to a 16-0 season and the national championship. He finished the full season with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, six interceptions and seven rushing scores. (heisman.com) (nfl.com) (espn.com) That résumé explains why Las Vegas treated him as more than a stopgap. The Raiders have made two playoff appearances in the past 23 seasons and have not won a postseason game since the 2002 season, while cycling through seven starting quarterbacks over the past three years. (nfl.com) The team’s new leadership has tied its timeline to a young passer. ESPN reported owner Mark Davis said in February that hiring coach Klint Kubiak was shaped in part by the possibility of drafting an offensive player high and letting him grow in that system. (espn.com) Raiders general manager John Spytek said Mendoza fits that plan because of his size, accuracy and mobility in bootleg-heavy concepts. Spytek also said the rookie will compete with Kirk Cousins and Aidan O’Connell, even though the club would prefer not to force a first-year quarterback onto the field before he is ready. (espn.com) Mendoza told ESPN he believed Las Vegas was “the best fit” because of the coaching staff, and he said after the pick that he was eager to meet teammates, coaches and owners. He watched the draft from home in Miami instead of attending in person in Pittsburgh. (espn.com) (nfl.com) The rest of the first round quickly turned into a referendum on quarterback value. Yahoo Sports’ live draft coverage flagged Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson’s selection at No. 13 by the Los Angeles Rams as one of the night’s biggest debate points, a sign that Mendoza was the only passer with broad agreement at the top. (sports.yahoo.com) (espn.com) For the Raiders, the draft’s first answer is now in. Mendoza was the first name called, and Las Vegas will spend the next season finding out how quickly that choice can change a 3-14 team. (nfl.com)