QB Fernando Mendoza selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders

Fernando Mendoza – ever the humble gentleman – demurred when asked about draft.

He could be the first pick, the 199th pick – he knew what he was doing by highlighting the draft spot his new boss, Tom Brady, immortalized – or the last pick, "Mr. Irrelevant," he said.

All that mattered to him was another opportunity to continue improving.

He will get that opportunity with the Las Vegas Raiders, who picked Mendoza first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23, formalizing what had been an inevitability for months.

Mendoza, who celebrated his selection at home in south Florida with family, plays the most important position in sports and is the most pro-ready quarterback prospect in the class.

Mendoza became the fourth quarterback since 2010 to win the national title, Heisman and be taken first overall, joining Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Joe Burrow.

“Now I step into a great game, in the NFL, and I look forward to proving it every single day,” Mendoza told ESPN.

Sporting a black and silver Raiders cap and flanked by friends and family, Mendoza beamed after the selection.

"What a great organization. Great legacy, with so many teammates I'm looking forward to talking to ..." Mendoza said, adding: "I'm ecstatic for the opportunity."

The Raiders have been searching for a long-term answer at the position since the days of Rich Gannon or, more realistically, Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett in the 1980s. Fans of the "Silver and Black" are hopeful Mendoza projects closer to those three signal-callers than the disaster that was JaMarcus Russell, the quarterback selected first overall in 2007 who often commands a podium position on the list of "biggest NFL draft busts."

Fernando Mendoza's 2025 championship season at Indiana was historic

Mendoza, lightly recruited out of high school whose lone major college offer came from California-Berkeley, has seen his star rise exponentially in less than 18 months. He transferred from Cal to Indiana and led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season that culminated with a national championship. Individually, Mendoza took home the Davey O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback and won the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten championship over then-No. 1 Ohio State, and Indiana steamrolled its way to the title matchup against Miami (Fla.). With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, and on fourth down, Mendoza scrambled for a 12-yard touchdown, punctuated by a dramatic dive for the goal line.

Mendoza's fame reached another level thanks to his genuine postgame interviews that oozed excitement.

At Cal, Mendoza cut down on his turnovers from his freshman season in 2023, when he threw 10 interceptions, to his sophomore campaign (6).

Will Fernando Mendoza start for Las Vegas Raiders?

Analysts have commended Mendoza's toughness and accuracy. In 16 games last season, he threw 41 touchdowns – to 6 interceptions – and completed 72% of his passes.

In Las Vegas, Mendoza will join forces with first-year head coach Klint Kubiak, who is coming off a Super Bowl win as the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. The pressure for Mendoza to start immediately should be minimal, with the Raiders signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins during free agency.

Cousins is familiar with Kubiak's scheme from their overlapping days with the Minnesota Vikings. Brady and the Raiders' front office have expressed their feelings regarding the importance of a rookie quarterback having the chance to sit and learn during his first season in the NFL.

In March, Mendoza said he had been studying film of Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. All of those signal-caller's schemes are functions of Kubiak's coaching tree, which includes Sean McVay (Rams) and Kyle Shanahan (49ers).

“I just like how they are very efficient in their system,” Mendoza told USA TODAY Sports.