RAIDERS DRAFT NEW CENTERPIECE QB FERNANDO MENDOZA NO. 1 OVERALL The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, confident the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion just keeps winning. The 22-year-old becomes the centerpiece of a franchise rebuild following his own meteoric rise, culminating in the Hoosiers claiming a football national title for the first time in program history. “What a great organization, great legacy,” Mendoza said Thursday night on ESPN. “There’s so many teammates I’m looking forward to talking to — coaches, owners. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.” Las Vegas went 3-14 last season and fired Pete Carroll as head coach, which prompted a change at quarterback under first-time head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders traded starter Geno Smith to the Jets and signed Kirk Cousins to bridge any potential gap for Mendoza to be deemed ready for the QB1 role. General manager John Spytek and Kubiak said their “perfect world” would allow for Mendoza to be worked into the starting role gradually. Considered a cerebral field general more than a physical freak or elite specimen at quarterback, Mendoza has already openly discussed the presence of a priceless sounding board in Las Vegas: minority franchise owner Tom Brady. He read the “TB12 Method” book before the NFL Scouting Combine in preparation for a potential interaction with Brady. That didn’t come until he took his official team visit to meet the team’s top brass. “Everything that he’s all about is something that I’ve always emulated as a football player,” Mendoza said in February. “And anything the coaching staff has as coaching points, like, ‘Hey Fernando, we need you to get better at this, this and that,’ I’m gonna be like, ‘Hey Tom, how do I get better at this, this and that?’ If I get selected by Mr. Spytek and the Raiders, if that does happen, it’d be a great opportunity.” Mendoza is the first No. 1 pick for the Raiders since drafting LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007. The Raiders haven’t won a postseason game since the 2002 playoffs and have earned only two trips (2016, 2021) since losing Super Bowl XXXVII to the Buccaneers. The Raiders also last won the AFC West division in 2002. All of the losses have placed the Raiders in position to stock the roster with blue-chip talent in the draft. Tight end Brock Bowers (13th pick, 2024) made a record-setting splash in his first season with 112 catches for 1,194 yards. Running back Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall pick, 2025) had 10 touchdowns last season despite being an easy target behind a ragtag offensive line. Spytek insists a 180 turn by the Raiders from 3-14 in 2025 won’t be about one player or position. Las Vegas entered Thursday with 10 total draft picks and was next slated to pick at No. 36 overall, the fourth pick in the second round on Friday. The Raiders have numerous position needs after averaging 14.2 points and allowing 25.4 points per game in 2025. The climb can be steep. As a team, the Raiders scored 40 fewer touchdowns (25) than the Rams. But the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are living testaments to what a franchise-caliber quarterback can bring to a team. The Commanders selected Jayden Daniels in 2024 and advanced to the NFC Championship during his rookie season. New England was in the Super Bowl in February with Drake Maye, the quarterback drafted one spot after Daniels, playing at an MVP level in a rapid rebuild. Mendoza had 41 touchdown passes and six interceptions for Indiana last season, completing 72% of his passes to post a perfect 16-0 record not many outside the program saw coming. Indiana entered the season with the most losses in FBS history (715). Overlooked coming out of high school, Mendoza didn’t get recruited by Miami — the team Indiana beat in the national championship game — despite growing up about a mile from campus and leading Columbus High to a state title in 2019. He wound up at Cal and played for the Bears for two years before transferring to Indiana. “He had a lot of success last year,” Kubiak said of his early impressions of Mendoza. “He won a national championship, and that’s what you want. You want a winner.” Mendoza, dressed in a black suit and silver tie, witnessed the selection surrounded by friends and family rather than attending the draft in Pittsburgh, opting to make the occasion all about those responsible for helping him make the dream sequence a reality. He thanked his mom, Elsa Mendoza, for being his biggest supporter during the Heisman Trophy acceptance speech in December. Elsa Mendoza is battling multiple sclerosis and the Mendoza family was more comfortable sharing the moment in Miami. Mendoza revealed Thursday afternoon he was launching the Mendoza Family Fund — a charitable fund in partnership with the National MS Society — to raise money to fight MS. Mendoza announced he contributed a personal $500,000 donation. TRADE TRACKER: CHIEFS MOVE UP TO TAKE CB MANSOOR DELANE NO. 6 The Kansas City Chiefs made the first move up the board of the 2026 NFL Draft, swapping three places with the Cleveland Browns to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane on Thursday night. The Chiefs moved from No. 9 to No. 6 overall, while the Browns received a third-rounder (74th overall) and a fifth-rounder (148th) in addition to the ninth overall pick from Kansas City. Cleveland drafted Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano in the No. 9 slot, the first offensive lineman taken. The Chiefs, coming off their first missed postseason since 2014, needed a cornerback after dealing two-time All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams last month. Delane, the first cornerback selected Thursday, was a unanimous All-American in 2025 after recording two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 45 tackles in 11 games for LSU. He spent his first three college seasons at Virginia Tech before transferring ahead of the 2025 season and finished his college career with eight interceptions, 27 pass breakups, 191 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Games –The Dallas Cowboys traded up one place to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11. Dallas sent picks No. 12, 177 and 180 to the Miami Dolphins, who snagged Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor immediately after Downs was chosen. –The Cowboys weren’t done wheeling and dealing, sending the 20th overall pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to the rival Philadelphia Eagles for the 23rd pick and two fourth-rounders (Nos. 114, 137). The Eagles jumped up to select Southern California’s Makai Lemon, who slipped past some receiver-needy teams before becoming the third wideout off the board. Lemon racked up 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions for the Trojans as a junior in 2025. He joins DeVonta Smith on a Philadelphia team that is widely rumored to be planning to trade disgruntled star receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots after June 1. At No. 23, the Cowboys picked UCF defensive lineman Malachi Lawrence, who amassed 20 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in his 39-game college career. –The Houston Texans swapped first-round positions with the Buffalo Bills, leaping up to No. 26 to select Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, a well-graded interior force. Houston also received the No. 91 pick (third-rounder) as part of the deal. In return, Buffalo got picks No. 28, 69 (third-rounder) and 167 (fifth round). Buffalo later traded back twice more, exiting the first round. –The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco also traded first-round picks, with Miami moving up from No. 30 to No. 27. Miami surrendered a third-round pick (No. 90) receiving San Francisco’s fourth-round pick (No. 138) in return. With pick No. 27, the Dolphins grabbed San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson. –In the Bills’ second trade of the night, they acquired picks No. 31 and 125 (fourth-rounder) from the New England Patriots for pick No. 28, which the Patriots used to select Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. –The New York Jets traded for the No. 30 pick San Francisco acquired from Miami, surrendering a second-round pick (No. 33) and a fifth-rounder (No. 179). At No. 30, the Jets selected Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. –The Bills’ final deal was with the Tennessee Titans, who moved back into the first round at No. 31 overall to draft Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk. The Titans also received a third-rounder (No. 69) and fifth-rounder (No. 165), while the Bills moved down to No. 35 overall in the second round and acquired the Titans’ third-round (No. 66) and fourth-round (No. 101) choices. NFL DRAFT SEES SURPRISES GALORE AFTER RAIDERS’ FERNANDO MENDOZA SLAM DUNK Fernando Mendoza’s next mission might be his toughest yet: Try to turn Sin City into Win City. The Las Vegas Raiders tabbed Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday. The 22-year-old will be the centerpiece of a franchise rebuild following his meteoric rise at Indiana, where he won the Heisman Trophy and led the program to its first national title. Mendoza had 41 touchdown passes and six interceptions for Indiana last season, completing 72% of his passes to post a perfect 16-0 record not many outside the program saw coming. Indiana entered the season with the most losses in FBS history (715). It came as no surprise that the Raiders, who finished 3-14 in 2025, used their top pick on Mendoza. The selection had been expected for months as Las Vegas eyed a potential franchise quarterback, and now the only question is whether Mendoza will immediately step in as starter or whether he will serve as an understudy to veteran Kirk Cousins to start the season. What the Raiders’ top pick lacked in suspense, the rest of the top 10 made up for with surprises. The New York Jets tapped Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 pick. Bailey racked up 14 1/2 sacks in 14 games last season, and he prompted the Jets to bypass highly touted Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese to select him instead. At No. 3, the Arizona Cardinals added Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. The Cardinals had needs at other positions but could not bypass taking a home-run hitter in Love, who averaged 6.9 yards per carry and rushed for 18 touchdowns last season. The Titans added another twist at No. 4 when they bypassed high-end defenders to select wideout Carnell Tate from Ohio State. In 2025, Tate caught 51 passes and hauled in nine touchdowns. Tate had a message for Cam Ward, his new quarterback with the Titans. “I’m a reliable target for him,” Tate said. “Whenever he needs me, I’m there for him. I’m always open.” The New York Giants pounced on Reese at No. 5, where he will join what could be one of the league’s more talented pass-rushing units. “The Giants told me they’re going to get unique with me,” Reese said. “They said they’re going to use me in a bunch of unique ways. I’m looking forward to that.” Next came the first trade of the evening, as the Kansas City Chiefs struck a deal with the Cleveland Browns to move up from No. 9 to No. 6. To jump three spots on the draft board, the Chiefs gave up a third-round pick (No. 74) overall and a fifth-round pick (No. 148 overall). Kansas City then selected LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. Delane said the Chiefs were not heavily involved in his pre-draft process, a tactic that appeared to be subterfuge as soon as they called his name. “They said they just wanted to keep it quiet and make that sneak move,” Delane said. “And they made the best move in the draft. So I’m excited.” The Washington Commanders followed at No. 7 by selecting linebacker Sonny Styles — the third Buckeye to go in the top seven picks. At No. 8, the New Orleans drafted Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. A pair of offensive linemen rounded out the top 10. Cleveland got first dibs as it used the No. 9 pick to select tackle Spencer Fano from Utah. Moments later, the Giants took advantage of their second pick of the first round to take Miami Hurricanes tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10. The Dallas Cowboys acted quickly once Ohio State safety Caleb Downs fall outside the top 10. They traded up one spot to No. 11 by sending the Miami Dolphins the No. 12 pick and two fifth-round picks (Nos. 177 and 180), and they drafted Downs to patrol their secondary. The Dolphins took the third offensive lineman of the draft when they called Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor’s name at No. 12 overall. Another surprise arrived at the No. 13 pick as the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The Rams saw an opportunity to select their quarterback of the future, who will learn under head coach Sean McVay and veteran starter Matthew Stafford. “Two of the greatest minds in offense,” Simpson said. “… I’m looking forward to it.” Baltimore gobbled up Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane at No. 14, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15. Bain Jr. did not hide his disappointment that he slid to the 15th pick, and he spoke forcefully about why he would prove that the Buccaneers made the right choice. “I know I’m the best in the country, and I’m going to show it,” he said. The Jets added the top-rated tight end in the draft when they selected Kenyon Sadiq out of Oregon at No. 16. The back half of the first round included five offensive linemen and two defensive tackles. A few more playmakers also went off the board on the draft’s first night. The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select Southern California wideout Makai Lemon at No. 20. Lemon gives the Eagles another pass-catching weapon as rumors swirl that A.J. Brown could be dealt away. The Browns used the No. 24 pick to take wide receiver KC Concepcion out of Texas A&M. The final wideout selected Thursday was Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., whom the Jets drafted at No. 30 with their third pick of the first round. The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks finished the first round by taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at No. 32. Price will play in the NFC West along with Love, a fellow first-rounder and his former backfield mate with the Fighting Irish. NEW RAMS QB TY SIMPSON AMONG BIGGEST NFL DRAFT SURPRISES The biggest surprises in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft: Titans select Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at No. 4 If you had a bet out on Tate being the first Ohio State player taken, you probably made some money. The Titans had many needs and committed heavily to taking wide receivers in the mid-rounds last year, so the position wasn’t really on the radar for Tennessee. Tate fits extremely well into the wide receiver room, providing a true alpha complement to Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who showed promise, but not quite enough to elevate quarterback Cam Ward early. Pairing their franchise quarterback with a high-level wideout early could spell promise for this offense. Chiefs select LSU CB Mansoor Delane at No. 6 It’s not surprising that there was some jockeying to get higher in the draft in a class with a limited number of blue-chip players, but most assumed that if the Chiefs were going to move up, it would be for an edge rusher. Kansas City lost a chunk of cornerbacks this offseason, but moving up for Delane was unexpected. However, coach Andy Reid should welcome Delane to the team, given the limited outside talent on the team. The group should feel a little more solid with Delane’s well-rounded coverage ability. Rams select Alabama QB Ty Simpson at No. 13 The one-year Alabama starting signal-caller has been gifted the perfect chance to develop. With Rams coach Sean McVay on his sideline and a solid starter in Matthew Stafford to learn from for at least the next season or two, Simpson looks as if he will be able to be in prime form as we saw in the first half of the 2025 college season. The Rams are giving him a long leash to develop, a good plan for a player whom many doubted could start early. Still, this selection was a shocker for a team many believe is ready to compete for a Super Bowl this season. Vikings select Florida DL Caleb Banks at No. 18 Without the foot injury that sidelined Banks for most of the 2025 season, this would not be much of a shock. However, Banks sustained another foot injury at the NFL Scouting Combine, and many believed his stock had dropped as a result. The Vikings, though, clearly saw the impressive movement skills Banks showed off at the combine and jumped at the chance to draft him. Time will tell if this is a major upside play or an unforced blunder, that’s between Minnesota and the doctor’s office. Texans select Georgia Tech G Keylan Rutledge at No. 26 While most analysts did not have Rutledge sneaking his way into the first round, not everyone agreed with that assessment. Similar to the New England Patriots choosing lesser-regarded guard Cole Strange in the first round in 2022, the Texans traded up to snag Rutledge due to his hard-nosed play and testing that went way above expectations. Will Rutledge have similar struggles as Strange, who didn’t make it to a second contract with the Patriots? It’s relatively unlikely, as Rutledge is much more battle tested than his Chattanooga counterpart and holds much more power in his hands and legs. 2026 NFL DRAFT: BEST AVAILABLE ON DAY 2 Round 1 of the NFL Draft came and went on Friday, starting the slide for prospects who were once viewed as first-rounders. Here’s a look at the best players still available as we head into Round 2 of the draft: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee — McCoy missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn right ACL, and his drop isn’t surprising given the news that there was still some work to do in the healing process. McCoy still being on the board means that, on Day 2 of the draft, a team will get a high-level player in terms of pure football talent. McCoy’s best reps from the 2024 season would have cemented him as a top 10 player had they occurred this year, but with the time away from the sport, McCoy slid. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee — It wasn’t just an injured Tennessee secondary player who fell, as even a healthy one is still on the board. Hood being available in Round 2 is legitimately surprising, as his burst and physicality made him an obvious candidate for an early selection, not to mention his clean bill of health. You have to wonder if McCoy’s injury is hurting Hood’s stock. It will be interesting to keep track of what ultimately wins out, health or ability. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo — While two safeties came off the board in Round 1 (somewhat of a rarity), McNeil-Warren was not one of them. Perhaps it was to do with his Group of 5 background, or because his man-coverage ability still needed some cleanup. His zone instincts and impressive athleticism should make McNeil-Warren one of the first players to come off the board in Day 2, turning the Toledo defensive back into an early starter for a team. Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M — Most of the edge rushers selected on Thursday came with standard measurements, outside of Rueben Bain Jr., who slid to No. 15. Howell is likely still on the board because of his arm length, measured between 30 and 31 inches, depending on who you ask. If a team is willing to take a chance on an unorthodox player, it will get one of this draft’s most prolific speed rushers with a habit of converting pressures into sacks. Howell also does strong work dropping into coverage, so he should be chosen pretty early in Round 2. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State — Four Ohio State players heard their names called Thursday night, but McDonald was not one of them. Teams may not have seen a lot of creativity with McDonald, who profiled primarily as a run-stopping nose tackle. While that evaluation could leave you believing McDonald had limited value, if a team needs an anchor in the defensive front, McDonald will hear his name called earlier in Round 2. Here’s a secret: His pass-rush reps aren’t so bad either. NFL DRAFT GRADES DAY ONE: https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-draft-snap-grades-for-every-team-after-day-1 About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation 2026 NFL DRAFT NEWS
