The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, and plenty of Hoosiers are looking to hear their names called. Headlined by QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana sent a record nine players to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. That gives the Hoosiers a chance to make history in April. The most Indiana Football players to be drafted in a single NFL Draft is seven in 1976, but that record is in serious jeopardy of being broken in 2026.
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Coming off a historic season in which he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Hoosiers to a National Championship, Mendoza is widely considered to be the surefire No. 1 overall pick. That pick belongs to the Las Vegas Raiders, who are already paving the way for the Hoosier QB to take over.
Raiders releasing Geno Smith sets the table for Fernando Mendoza to be drafted No. 1 overall
On Friday, the Raiders made a predictable move that football fans across the country saw coming. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapaport has reported that Las Vegas is set to release veteran QB Geno Smith at the start of the league year.
Smith spent just one season in Vegas, and it did not go well. The 35-year-old QB led the Raiders to just two wins in 15 games as the starter, and threw an NFL-high 17 interceptions on the season.
The move to release him paves the way for Mendoza to be selected by Las Vegas with the 1st overall pick in April's NFL Draft.
Raiders set to release QB Geno Smith at the start of the league year. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/mLoWSRrAWp
— NFL (@NFL) March 6, 2026
Along with moving on from their QB from this past season, the Raiders made the move to fire Pete Carroll the day after the regular season following a 3-14 campaign. The franchise hired former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach. Kubiak had the Seattle offense cooking all season long en route to a Super Bowl title, and as he prepares for his first season as the head man in Vegas, drafting Mendoza seems to be a great place to start.
The move to release Smith leaves Las Vegas with two QBs on the roster: Kenny Pickett and Aiden O'Connell. Both have limited NFL starting experience, and if Mendoza enters the mix, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Heisman Trophy winner get every opportunity to be the Week 1 starter.
Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has already publicly praised Mendoza for his character and ability to turn a program around, which makes it seem like the franchise is set on selected Mendoza. Presumably with a chance to make an immediate impact, Hoosier fans are fired up to see what Mendoza can do at the next level.