With the NFL’s free agency period coming to a close and most of the action behind us, the next significant event on the league’s calendar is the 2026 NFL draft, and there’s no question that the No. 1 player in the draft is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season during his 2025-26 run and snagged Indiana the national championship title for the first time in franchise history. There’s literally no reason why the Las Vegas Raiders wouldn’t pick him with their first draft pick.
The 91st annual NFL draft is set to take place from April 23 through 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event has a long history, with its roots dating back to the 1930s, according to the NFL. The draft got its start in 1934, when Philadelphia Eagles co-owner Bert Bell felt that his team was at a disadvantage in getting the best players.
“At a 1935 league meeting, Bell proposed that the NFL hold an annual player draft to level the playing field and make sure that every franchise remained financially viable,” the league states in their history profile of the draft. “League owners voted unanimously to adopt his proposal, setting up the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936.”
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In a Monday, March 16 feature for USA Today, Nate Davis and Ayrton Ostly make their draft projections. While it’s no secret that they have the Las Vegas Raiders picking Mendoza, what’s special is that they note he’s an “outstanding person” at a personal level. That will go a long way for him in the NFL.
“As if there’s been any mystery surrounding this pick since the 2025 regular season ended, the Silver and Black’s position was further clarified by the trade of QB Geno Smith, who wasn’t even retained as a bridge option to Mendoza,” they note in the feature.
They add that, “His interactions with reporters and his fellow attendees at the scouting combine continued to burnish his reputation as an outstanding person and teammate. Might have been nice for this team to get extra youngsters around Mendoza had the Maxx Crosby trade gone through, yet playing with Crosby could be equally beneficial for the new face of the franchise – on the field and off.”
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His NFL draft profile boasts that he’s a “precision-based pocket passer whose game is built on rare accuracy and steady command in high-leverage moments.”
Mendoza’s profile adds that he’s “mechanically sound and intensely accurate,” as well as “fearless in attacking pre- and post-snap reads. He can feather throws into deep windows or between levels. He consistently hits moving targets in stride on digs, slants, outs and crossers.”