Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders have finally found their franchise quarterback after selecting Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, had his name read out first by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, shortly after he was booed in front of thousands of fans in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
But the 22-year-old was not in Pittsburgh on Thursday night and spent the night with his family in Coral Gables, Florida instead. His mother, Elsa, has multiple sclerosis so traveling is difficult.
Wild celebrations broke out inside the Mendoza family home as his name was read out on the TV they were crowded around. As well as his loved ones inside, there were lots of people partying int the garden.
After hugging every member of his family, Mendoza told ESPN: ‘The last five months have been such a blessing by God. College was fantastic, now I step into a great game in the NFL. I look forward to earning and proving it every day.’
Asked about the Raiders, he added: ‘What a great organization, great legacy, so many great teammates, great owners. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.’
Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders have selected Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick
Brady and the Raiders finally have their franchise quarterback in the Heisman Trophy winner
Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, led the Indiana Hoosiers to the national championship
Mendoza’s mother, Elsa, has multiple sclerosis so he made the decision to celebrate in Florida
When the broadcast cut to the Raiders’ draft ‘war room’ there was no sign of Brady.
Mendoza was widely expected to be taken first by the Raiders as they embark on a new era with a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and a new quarterback.
It continues a remarkable year for Mendoza after he inspired the Indiana Hoosiers to national championship glory back in January to cap off a stunning final season in college football.
Mendoza is the fifth No. 1 pick in the last nine in-person drafts – 2020 was held virtually – to skip the spectacle and celebrate privately with family and friends. Travon Walker, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett were the others.
The poised and polished Mendoza will now get a chance to learn from part-owner Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, but will first have to battle Kirk Cousins for the starting spot after the veteran quarterback signed with the Raiders earlier this offseason.
Moments later, New York Jets fans finally got the answer to their team’s David Bailey and Arvell Reese dilemma when they picked Texas Tech star Bailey with the second overall pick.
The first defensive pick off the board in 2026 told ESPN: ‘It’s surreal to me. This is an awesome opportunity.
‘I’m just happy to be here. I just want to get in there, be a sponge and help out this organization. I feel this organization is trending in the right way and I’m ready to work.’
The New York Jets selected David Bailey of Texas Tech with the second overall pick
Star Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3
Thousands of fans gathered outside the Steelers’ stadium to watch the first round on Thursday
The Arizona Cardinals made a splash at No. 3 by selecting running back Jeremiyah Love out of Notre Dame.
The Cardinals were considered by many to be trade candidates but their phones remained silent so they made Love the first running back drafted in the top five picks since the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in 2018.
He told ESPN: ‘This is very special, my dad was the first person who believed me and he had to sacrifice a lot to get me to this point. So I got to pay him back. I’m going to put it on for the Cardinals. We’re going to do some special things together.’
The first big surprise of the night came at pick No. 4 when the Tennessee Titans opted for Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate.
New coach Robert Saleh has added a major weapon for his quarterback Cam Ward and Ohio State has a prolific record in producing elite wide receivers.
Asked for his message to Ward, Tate said: ‘I’m a reliable target for him. Whenever he needs me I’m there for him. I’m always open.’
Tate then paid a moving tribute to his mom Ashley Griggs, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in 2023. He said: ‘She’s my everything, she’s my rock, she’s my world. She sacrificed everything for me. I’m forever in her debt.’
The first big surprise of the night came at pick No. 4 when the Titans opted for Carnell Tate
The Giants’ first draft pick under new head coach John Harbaugh was linebacker Arvell Reese
The Chiefs traded for the No. 6 pick with the Browns to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane
Moments before the New York Giants’ pick at No. 5 was announced, news broke of the draft’s first trade. The Cleveland Browns traded their No. 6 pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for the Nos. 9, 74 and 141 picks.
The Giants’ first draft pick under new head coach John Harbaugh was Ohio State’s 6ft 4ins and 241 lbs linebacker Arvell Reese to bring some firepower on defense.
It’s rare for the Chiefs to have a pick so early given their NFL dominance in recent years but last season’s disappointment means they’re rebuilding this offseason.
They used their No. 6 selection on LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. He will surely replace Trent McDuffie following his trade to the Los Angeles Rams in early March.
‘They (Chiefs) said they wanted to keep it quiet and make this sneaky move, and they made the best move in the draft… let’s make a mark on this league,’ Delane told ESPN.
Ohio State had three players selected in the first seven picks when the Washington Commanders added linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick.
‘When I was there recently, I told Coach (Dan) Quinn, hopefully I’ll be back soon. He said “we’ll see”. We’re living out the dream but it’s just the beginning,’ Styles told ESPN.
More to follow.
