Raiders draft QB Fernando Mendoza with No. 1 pick; RB Jeremiyah Love goes No. 3 to Cardinals

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Apr 23, 2026

Published in Football

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An incredible year for Fernando Mendoza added another highlight Thursday night, as the Las Vegas Raiders took the decorated quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

The selection was all but a formality after Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to the first national championship in program history in recent months.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s announcement from the stage in downtown Pittsburgh was nonetheless special for a fast-rising player whom nobody projected as a first-round pick this time last year.

Mendoza did not attend the draft in person, deciding instead to celebrate with his family at their home in Coral Gables, Fla. Cameras at his watch party showed Mendoza putting on a Raiders hat and sharing hugs with his loved ones after his name was announced.

“I’m just looking forward to getting to work,” Mendoza said on the ESPN broadcast, adding, “I look forward to proving and earning it every single day.”

Mendoza is the fourth player ever to win the Heisman Trophy and a national championship before being selected No. 1 pick overall, joining Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Joe Burrow.

The 22-year-old Mendoza passed for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns with six interceptions over 16 games last season, his first at Indiana after three years at California.

Armed with poise and precision, Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record, capping the perfect season with a 27-21 win over Miami in the national title game.

That production and winning pedigree made Mendoza the consensus top quarterback on every big board, with many analysts pegging him as the No. 1 prospect at any position.

“Though he doesn’t have a huge arm, he can make all the necessary NFL-level throws,” wrote ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., who was among those to place Mendoza atop his player rankings.

“His ball placement is fantastic, and he’s poised in the pocket. I wouldn’t consider him a dual threat, but Mendoza also has enough mobility to pick up first downs as a scrambler. He’s a franchise quarterback at the next level.”

Mendoza was the prize of a draft that was otherwise light at quarterback, making him a coveted commodity among QB-needy franchises.

He now joins a Vegas team that went 3-14, including a Week 17 loss to the Giants that effectively clinched the No. 1 overall pick.

The Raiders — who traded last year’s starting quarterback, Geno Smith, to the Jets last month — add Mendoza to a young offensive nucleus that includes Brock Bowers at tight end and Ashton Jeanty at running back.

In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s draft, the Raiders bolstered their offensive line by signing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-setting three-year, $81 million contract; and by signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to help mentor Mendoza.

They also hired an offensive-minded head coach, Klint Kubiak, to replace Pete Carroll, whom they fired in January.

“What a great organization,” Mendoza said. “Great legacy. There’s so many great teammates I’m looking forward to talking to. Coaches. Owners. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.”

The Raiders pick kicked off a draft in which the Jets selected Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey at No. 2 and the Arizona Cardinals took running Jeremiyah Love at No. 3.

Love, who totaled 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns last season, is the first running back taken with a top-five pick since the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.