‘Emotional’ Fernando Mendoza Celebrates with His Family After Getting Drafted No.1 Overall by Tom Brady’s Raiders

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a Las Vegas Raider. The AFC West franchise drafted the University of Indiana alum first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell put an end to all the speculation on Thursday, April 23, when he walked up to the podium and announced the Raiders’ pick. Goodell called out Mendoza’s name, and the big screen displayed the interior of the Mendoza household in Miami.

Fernando, 22, embraced his mother, Elsa Mendoza, then his father, Mendoza Sr.; his grandparents; brothers; and other family members.

With the 1st overall pick the @Raiders select Fernando Mendoza from @IndianaFootball!

2026 NFL Draft starts on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XfhzVBbTwa

— NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2026

Earlier this year, Mendoza declared that he was not going to travel to Pittsburgh to attend the draft. He received little pushback, given that mock drafts projected him as the first overall pick, and typically, such players don’t skip an occasion. Of course, there have been exceptions in the past.

A few days before the draft, Mendoza revealed that the reason behind skipping the draft was his mother’s medical condition; she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly two decades earlier. But more importantly, Mendoza wanted to celebrate his special moment with his family, so he decided to stay back in Miami.

Fernando Mendoza believes that he is still an underdog

As an Indiana Hoosier, historically an underachieving program, Mendoza went unbeaten during his final year of college football. He led the Hoosiers to wins against heavyweights like Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, and Miami, becoming national champions for the first time in the school’s history.

However, he wasn’t seen as a top quarterback while playing for the California Golden Bears. The mechanics were present in his style, but he never really stood out. He truly blossomed after coming under the influence of Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.

After the season Mendoza had with the Hoosiers, scouts started drawing similarities between him and quarterbacks like Matt Ryan or Kirk Cousins. NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein even compared Mendoza to former LSU and current Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Despite the lofty comparisons, Mendoza remains committed to improving his craft and believes he has a lot to learn. Right now, he considers himself an underdog.

I believe I’m still the underdog… I need to work every single day possible, because I’m on the bottom of the totem pole. … I’ve go to first earn the respect to my teammates, earn that equity, and I’ve also just got to immerse, and I’m just ready to do whatever the team needs and calls me to do to help them win.

Fernando Mendoza told the Raiders team reporter Levi Edwards

Fernando Mendoza is unlikely to start for the Raiders in his rookie year

Per the recent trend, if a quarterback is taken first overall, he will more than likely start from week one, whether he’s ready to shoulder the daunting responsibility or not. Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, and Bryce Young, all three were day-one starters for their respective teams. Due to their inexperience in running NFL-caliber offenses, they struggled early on.

However, the Raiders’ head coach, Klint Kubiak, is leaning towards benching Mendoza during his rookie year so that he can learn his playbook.

Ideally, you don’t want him to start from day one. You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world.

Kubiak said (H/T: FOX Sports)

For that reason, the Raiders signed Cousins. As a bonus, the veteran signal caller worked with Kubiak in Minnesota, so he’s familiar with the Super Bowl winner’s style.

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