Raiders Officially Select Fernando Mendoza No. 1 Overall

The dust has settled, and the waiting is finally over. The Las Vegas Raiders made it official with Fernando Mendoza. The Silver and Black took Mendoza with the first overall pick to open up the 2026 NFL Draft. It comes as no surprise, but the wait has been a long one for many NFL fans, especially those of Raider Nation. Mendoza is now the latest quarterback to be the first overall pick. He is joining a team that has been looking for a quarterback for the past couple of years.

Raiders Take Mendoza With the First Overall Pick

A year ago, you could see this for the Raiders because you just felt like it was always going to be a difficult time finding a quarterback in the NFL Draft for this franchise. Also, a year ago, no one had this kid, Fernando Mendoza, going with the first overall pick, or even in the first round. Mendoza climbed all the draft boards, last season, with each game that went by. Mendoza had one of the best seasons we have seen from a college quarterback.

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The 2026 NFL Draft logo on the theater stage at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy. Then he led Indiana University to the school's first College Football National Championship. Mendoza played against the best teams all last season, and his game evolved each time he took the field. When it was all said and done, he earned and deserved to be taken first overall. He was the best prospect in this draft, and the Raiders are the team that is going to take the chance on him. Mendoza is ready to prove why he was the top pick.

Mendoza will now start his NFL development with the Raiders. Mendoza will be under new head coach Klint Kubiak and will be in a quarterback room with two other Big Ten guys in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and fourth-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell. Mendoza will also have Raiders minority Tom Brady help him with his development. This is the right fit for both Mendoza and the Raiders.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (QB11) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Everything so far this offseason has pointed to the Raiders trending upward starting next season. Mendoza, being the future quarterback, is just the latest move to jumpstart the Silver and Black the right way. It will be interesting to see how the Raiders handle their quarterback room heading into next season. The plan right now is for him to develop and learn under Cousins.

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