Fernando Mendoza, selected in the NFL Draft to the Raiders, is tasked with returning the legacy franchise to glory.
The block surrounding Fernando Mendoza’s home in Coral Gables, Florida was cordoned off Thursday afternoon with a barbecue – a lechon asado for Cubans like Mendoza – it was to Caja China all day.
No, Mendoza did not come to Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL draft. But his family’s draft party in South Florida was, by all accounts, a good one.
And that’s the way it should be because Mendoza should have been selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick in the draft.
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza speaks to the media during media day for the College Football Playoff National Championship game at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., on Jan. 17, 2026. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)
“The last five months have been a blessing from God, I can’t thank him enough,” Mendoza said in his first interview after being appointed. “I’m looking forward to working, advancing to the next level. College was great. I’m blessed to have this job.
“But now I’m getting into a great game, the NFL, I’m looking forward to proving myself and getting it every day.”
TYLER LINDERBAUM’S $81M RECORD-BREAKING DEAL HEADLINES FOR RAIDERS’ FREE AGENCY TRADE
Not bad for a kid who used to confess to family, friends and teammates from time to time, “I don’t see myself as a top pick.”
That all changed when Mendoza transferred to Indiana University before the 2025 season, and out of that unlikely college football power came a Heisman Trophy winner, a national championship-winning quarterback, and the first overall draft pick.
The Raiders used only a minute or two of the eight before turning their card over to Mendoza’s NFL.
Only in America.
JETS TO GET BACK WITH GENO SMITH AFTER RAIDERS SLOW DOWN TRADE OPTION: REPORTS
The attackers believed in Mendoza. But the Raiders organization has been riddled with quarterback misfires in its recent history.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of the College Football Playoff national championship game in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The team signed Geno Smith to make them a contender last season under coach Pete Carroll. Smith led the NFL in interceptions with 17, Carroll was fired, and the team was so bad that they “earned” the first pick in the draft.
COULD TRADE NFL DRAFT MAN FRANCHISE QBS, PLAYERS COULD BE YAWNER
Before that, Gardner Minshew failed as a bridge quarterback and Aidan O’Connell never developed into a reliable starter.
Before that, Jimmy Garoppolo signed as a free agent but was often injured and inconsistent when healthy. He started just six games in 2023 and was released the following season.
Before that, it was Derek Carr, who was very active in his time, being benched in 2022 and eventually released.
You get the point. It’s been a while since Ken Stabler, Jim Plunkett or Rich Gannon won a franchise Super Bowl.
Mendoza is expected to change that sad story. But it won’t really be there. The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins earlier this offseason to serve as a bridge starter while Mendoza learns and develops.
The rookie will have time. But not forever.
A closer look inside the NFL Draft Theater outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 22, 2026. (IMAGN / Beaver County Times)
He is designed to lift a legacy franchise back to glory. But that won’t be an easy task because other franchises will get the vote anyway.
COMBINED TOP PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA MAKES BEST NFL DRAFT DECISION: REPORT
Mendoza heads to the AFC West where it’s impossible to win without a dominant quarterback.
The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the division since Patrick Mahomes made his 2018 debut. They won it seven times in a row until it went back to back last season.
The Denver Broncos won this category last season because they have one of the NFL’s rising quarterbacks in Bo Nix, who is close to a 4,000-yard season in 2025.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs last season and Justin Herbert is one of the league leaders in passing yards (9th last year) and touchdown passes (tied for seventh).
Now the Raiders respond with Fernando Mendoza — officially the No. 1 pick. 1 in the 2026 draft.
