Fernando Mendoza Is Going No. 1 to Las Vegas and It's the Third Heisman Winner in Four Years

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The kid led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national championship, becoming the third Heisman Trophy winner to go No. 1 in four years. He's following the same path Joe Burrow took, and honestly, that's about as pro-ready as it gets for a quarterback in this class.

Here's the thing about Mendoza: he might have a bigger brain than a big arm, but so did Peyton Manning. The Raiders think he has the makeup to finally give the franchise a quarterback who can actually stick around and develop in Klint Kubiak's scheme. But they're going to need to get serious about protecting him from day one. That's the real task ahead.

Why Quarterbacks Keep Going First

This is the 10th time a QB has gone No. 1 since Jameis Winston in 2015. We're talking about the eighth time in nine years a quarterback is the first player selected. The only exception recently was Georgia's Travon Walker going No. 1 in 2022, and that was the outlier, not the rule.

The Jets are already kicking themselves over missing out on Mendoza. They wanted a quarterback but Mendoza's headed to Vegas, and now they're still stung over Oregon's Dante Moore deciding to return for his senior season instead of leaving early. New York can't afford another No. 2 pick disaster like Zach Wilson in 2021 or Blair Thomas in 1990. They've got five total first-round picks across 2026 and 2027 to rebuild with, so they'll go different directions early.

The Rest of the First Round Takes Shape

After Mendoza, things get weird in a good way. Arizona's looking at offensive tackle Spencer Fano from Utah at No. 3. Tennessee pairs Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with their 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward. The Giants go safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State because their new coach John Harbaugh knows a safety with his skillset can anchor a defense with plenty of pass rush talent already in place.

The wide receiver class is loaded this year. Washington grabs Ohio State's Carnell Tate for his size, durability and production. New Orleans takes Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson to pair with Chris Olave. Kansas City's got to decide if Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles is worth the pick or if they target one of the top offensive linemen or LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane instead.

By the time we get to the back half of round one, the draft is already reshaping rosters across the league. This class is deep, versatile, and stacked at almost every position. The 2026 draft class is about to make some serious waves.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.