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Raiders select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick

Mendoza becomes the fifth Heisman Trophy winner to be drafted by the Raiders.

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Raiders select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft

Apr 23, 2026 at 05:13 PM

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Digital Team Reporter

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With the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana.

During the 2025 season, Mendoza delivered a historic year for the Hoosiers, guiding them to their first conference championship since 1967 and securing the program's first national championship and undefeated season. He also became the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history.

Mendoza completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns. In the college football playoffs, he recorded an 8:0 touchdown-interception ratio.

His Heisman campaign was accompanied by a number of other awards, including the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, AP College Football Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award and Big Ten Most Valuable Player.

He now becomes the fifth Heisman Trophy winner to be drafted by the Raiders organization, joining Marcus Allen (1982), Bo Jackson (1987), Tim Brown (1988) and Charles Woodson (1998).

Before arriving to Bloomington, he appeared in 20 games for the California Golden Bears where he completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 4,712 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.

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