Death, taxes, and Fernando Mendoza becoming the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft. These are all inevitabilities. With only one more game left to be played in an Indiana Hoosiers uniform, Mendoza better get ready to learn what Southern Nevada is all about as the face of the NFL's rebel franchise. The Silver and Black need him in the worst way possible, but he is coming...
According to the latest betting odds, DraftKings Sportsbook had Mendoza at -8000 to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Las Vegas earned the No. 1 overall pick for being 50 shades of terrible this past season. Pete Carroll was all about his former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, and it cost him his job after one season. Las Vegas will need to hire a new head coach here shortly.
So why has Mendoza's chances of going No. 1 overall to the Raiders skyrocketed so much of late? Well, it has everything to do with his greatest challenger for the top overall spot in Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore returning to school. That leaves us with QB2 and QB3 being Ty Simpson out of Alabama or Trinidad Chambliss out of Ole Miss, in some order. Book Mendoza to the Raiders!
Indiana is also seen as a massive favorite by seemingly everyone to win the College Football Playoff.
Fernando Mendoza is a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders
For as bad as things have been in recent years, and frankly for the bulk of the 21st century, for the Raiders, the Silver and Black do seem to have a few things going for it. On offense, they have the likes of Ashton Jeanty at running back, Brock Bowers at tight end, and Kolton Miller at left tackle. A player of Mendoza's caliber could certainly work with that. Tom Brady is still a minority owner of this team...
With John Spytek getting another year to reshape this roster, with the blessings of meddling owner Mark Davis of course, the Raiders can get better in a hurry if they pair Mendoza with the right head coach. One would expect it will be of the offensive variety. Not to say the Raiders are a candidate to go worst-to-first in the deep AFC West, but there could be better days ahead for them with Mendoza.
Ultimately, Mendoza is the perfect type of person to be the face of a franchise at the next level. How his game holds up in the pros remains to be seen. What is important to know is that he is a man of faith, a true professional in every sense of the word. For a team like the Raiders who are known to drive it into the ditch at seemingly every occasion, they have found their Derek Carr replacement.
Unless the Raiders are willing to move off the No. 1 overall pick, Mendoza is certainly a Raider now.