The Las Vegas Raiders will still have to make it official later this month with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But for all intents and purposes, everyone is operating under the same assumption that Vegas will select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza in the No. 1 spot.
Mendoza just won a Heisman Trophy and a national title for the Hoosiers, and he's got the quarterback skillset to match those accomplishments.
In fact, he's been compared to some notable QBs, including in a new article by ESPN's Matt Miller. The draft analyst Miller has compared Mendoza to Joe Burrow.
Burrow, of course, was a superstar at LSU who went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals, and when healthy has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
"One year after zero quarterbacks had a true first-round grade, there is one in this class," Miller writes. "Mendoza transferred to Indiana from Cal and developed into a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and potential No. 1 pick. He has outstanding pocket poise with expert-level touch to all areas of the field. My favorite trait is his ability to put the ball up for his receivers to make plays. And although his arm strength will never be elite, Mendoza protects the ball and is a great distributor. He threw for 41 touchdowns to six interceptions last season and has a game very similar to Burrow thanks to his deadly accuracy, poise in the pocket and penchant for making big plays in big moments."
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Burrow, too, was a transfer -- Ohio State to LSU. And that move worked out great for him.
Mendoza is following a similar path, although he was a less-heralded recruit and instead of playing for two blue bloods played for an academic powerhouse and an out-of-nowhere contender.
Still, he's expected to be exactly what the Raiders need. And if they actually end up with a player like Burrow, they'll be very happy.
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