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The Las Vegas Raiders might have their next franchise quarterback.
On Friday, Indiana quarterback and presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, announced he is declaring for April's event.
"Let’s get to work," Mendoza wrote. "I’m humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!"
Of course, the Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick and need a quarterback, so the expectation is they'll take Mendoza.
But will they actually do that? Here's what we know.
Will Raiders draft Fernando Mendoza?
While obviously not confirmed, the expectation is that, yes, the Raiders will draft Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
The pairing just makes too much sense.
Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship this season to cement himself as a top prospect, is the clear-cut top quarterback in this year's draft class and nobody else is particularly close.
Speaking of that national title, the Raiders' brass was on hand to watch the game, which shows clear interest in the Indiana signal-caller.
Las Vegas does not have a long-term solution under center on its roster and is coming off a year in which the signing of Geno Smith failed miserably.
Adding more weight to the idea the Raiders will draft Mendoza, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that the Raiders are “believed to be focusing on an offensive-minded head coach to pair with the likely No. 1 overall pick" in Mendoza.
A lot can change between now and the draft, so we must always be cognizant of that before 100% declaring that Mendoza is going to the Raiders.
But, as of right now, all signs point to him landing in Las Vegas.
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