
As expected, the Las Vegas Raiders took Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza, who wasn't in attendance as he chose to stay in Florida with his family, coaches and friends, had been the consensus No. 1 pick for most of the predraft process.
He had already talked about the prospect of playing for Klint Kubiak's team and had several meetings with the team.
However, now that it's officially official, the Heisman Trophy winner shared some words for Raider Nation.
"Great organization, great legacy," Mendoza said. "So many great teammates I'm looking forward to talking to, coaches, owners — I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."
"I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."
— NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2026
Fernando Mendoza is ready to hit the ground running with the @Raiders
NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
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The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason, presumably to take the reins of the offense for the first half of the campaign, if not all of it.
Mendoza had an amazing season with the Hoosiers, but he still needs to adapt and adjust to an NFL-style offense, so the Raiders are doing the right thing by taking it slowly with their prized rookie.
The Raiders are coming off a disappointing campaign under Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, but they have some interesting weapons for their new quarterback.
Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers should both give him more than enough to work with once he's ready to take the field, and this team should be much better after making major offseason additions while managing to keep Maxx Crosby in town.
It's the dawn of a new era in Sin City, and while the fans might have to be a little patient to watch their new franchise player do his thing, he's clearly more than ready to get to work.
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