Fernando Mendoza Got Drafted No. 1 and His First Move Was Posting to LinkedIn
The Las Vegas Raiders didn't waste any time on Thursday night, making Fernando Mendoza from Indiana their top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Mendoza watched it all unfold from home in Miami with his family, slapped on a Raiders hat, and then did something most first overall picks don't do: he updated his LinkedIn profile.
This guy is genuinely obsessed with the platform. His first post went up four years ago after he committed to California. Since then, he's been documenting his whole career on LinkedIn like it's his personal highlight reel. National championship win? Posted. ACC media day in 2024? Posted. His NFL draft declaration alone got over 30,000 reactions. So when Thursday rolled around with the biggest accomplishment of his life so far, Mendoza made sure LinkedIn knew about it.
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Right after his name got called, Mendoza added "Quarterback" to his experience section with the employer listed as "National Football League" and a start date of April 2026. That's not even the wildest part. He also showed up in a LinkedIn commercial during the first break of the draft, documenting his own selection with a post that read: "It's official. Grateful for the opportunity and ready to get to work!"
Whether Mendoza keeps this LinkedIn thing going throughout his NFL career is still up in the air. But one thing's for sure: the guy knows how to celebrate a moment.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.