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The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick Thursday to kick off the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza was widely expected to land with Las Vegas after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Hoosiers to a national title this past season.
The 22-year-old completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns against six interceptions in 2025. He also rushed for 276 yards and seven TDs, including a score in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Miami.
Mendoza is the Raiders' first No. 1 overall selection since JaMarcus Russell in 2007. The former LSU star, however, eventually left the franchise as one of the biggest busts in NFL history, making only 25 starts with 18 touchdowns and 23 picks from 2007-09.
Las Vegas has lacked stability at quarterback since parting ways with Derek Carr at the end of the 2022 season. The team has started seven different QBs in the past three years, including Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett in '25.
Mendoza joins a revamped quarterback room that also features veteran Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell. Although first-year head coach Klint Kubiak said in March that he'd prefer not to start a rookie passer right away, Mendoza will have a chance to change his coach's mind when training camp begins in July.
Mendoza's predraft profile
Mendoza is the clear top quarterback in this class. It's fair to be concerned about his ceiling, as the Indiana product doesn't have the off-script playmaking traits that might put him in the Caleb Williams tier of franchise-changing prospects. However, he's got more than enough arm to make any throw on the field, and he's a better athlete than you might think. Accuracy is Mendoza's superpower operating from the pocket. He can place the ball wherever he wants at every level and has the touch to layer throws over top of underneath defenders. He also has a supreme feel for back-shoulder balls in one-on-one situations down the sideline. His ability to work on time and play with anticipation often leaves defensive backs unable to break on the ball.
There aren't many examples of him working deep into progressions before pulling the ball down, so there's some projection required in that all-important area. Given his level of pre-snap processing, an NFL offense with more built-in answers for pressure could mitigate concerns about his sack numbers. And while much of Indiana's system was built on run-pass options, there are plenty of instances of Mendoza ripping pro-level throws downfield. A play-action-heavy system that emphasizes the vertical attack could unlock an even better version of the Heisman winner.
