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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft when the Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock on April 23.
That should mean we will see Mendoza take his walk to the draft stage and get an embrace from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after he’s announced as the pick, but that won’t be the case this time around.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mendoza will not be in attendance at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this month, which makes him an outlier for top picks in draft history.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Schefter adds in his report that Mendoza is skipping the 2026 NFL Draft because he instead wants to stay at home with his family.
“Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this month, per sources. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami,” Schefter reported.
If you know anything about Mendoza, you know he’s the quintessential “nice guy” and it’s not at all surprising he’s opting to spend the biggest night of his football life with his family.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Raiders have been in quarterback hell for years now and are coming off a season in which they had one of the worst in the NFL in Geno Smith.
The only way this franchise is ever going to get back on track is if it finds itself a bona fide superstar at the quarterback position. Mendoza is the closest thing to that this year by a country mile.
Mendoza first came onto the scene in 2024 at California, but he cemented himself as the top quarterback in this year’s class after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2025 during a season in which Mendoza completed an absurd 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Not that he needed it to secure his top spot in this year’s draft class, but the cherry on top for Mendoza was leading Indiana to a National Championship victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
If not for Mendoza, the Raiders likely wouldn’t be taking a quarterback with the top pick, as the class is extremely weak beyond the Indiana signal-caller.
What will be interesting to see is if the Raiders will actually start Mendoza in Year 1.
That’s usually a lock to happen with a No. 1 pick, but Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak has expressed his desire to have a rookie signal-caller sit behind an established veteran in Year 1 and the Raiders just signed Kirk Cousins as a potential option to start.
Either way, it won’t be long before Mendoza gets a chance to show he’s the real deal.
Continue reading...
That should mean we will see Mendoza take his walk to the draft stage and get an embrace from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after he’s announced as the pick, but that won’t be the case this time around.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mendoza will not be in attendance at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh later this month, which makes him an outlier for top picks in draft history.
Why Fernando Mendoza is skipping the 2026 NFL Draft
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Schefter adds in his report that Mendoza is skipping the 2026 NFL Draft because he instead wants to stay at home with his family.
“Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this month, per sources. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami,” Schefter reported.
If you know anything about Mendoza, you know he’s the quintessential “nice guy” and it’s not at all surprising he’s opting to spend the biggest night of his football life with his family.
Why the Raiders are drafting Mendoza
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Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak speaks at introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Raiders have been in quarterback hell for years now and are coming off a season in which they had one of the worst in the NFL in Geno Smith.
The only way this franchise is ever going to get back on track is if it finds itself a bona fide superstar at the quarterback position. Mendoza is the closest thing to that this year by a country mile.
Mendoza first came onto the scene in 2024 at California, but he cemented himself as the top quarterback in this year’s class after winning the Heisman Trophy in 2025 during a season in which Mendoza completed an absurd 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Not that he needed it to secure his top spot in this year’s draft class, but the cherry on top for Mendoza was leading Indiana to a National Championship victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
If not for Mendoza, the Raiders likely wouldn’t be taking a quarterback with the top pick, as the class is extremely weak beyond the Indiana signal-caller.
What will be interesting to see is if the Raiders will actually start Mendoza in Year 1.
That’s usually a lock to happen with a No. 1 pick, but Las Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak has expressed his desire to have a rookie signal-caller sit behind an established veteran in Year 1 and the Raiders just signed Kirk Cousins as a potential option to start.
Either way, it won’t be long before Mendoza gets a chance to show he’s the real deal.
Continue reading...
