Title: Las Vegas Raiders Secure No. 1 Overall Pick After 3-14 Season

The Las Vegas Raiders have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft following a 3-14 season, positioning them to select Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza as the franchise’s future face.

After finishing the 2025 season tied with three other teams for the league’s worst record, the Raiders earned the top selection through the NFL’s strength of schedule tiebreaker, which favored Las Vegas due to having the easiest schedule among the contenders.

The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday night at 5:00 p.m. PST, with the Raiders on the clock for the first overall selection. With the league reducing the time for first-round picks from ten to eight minutes this year, the announcement of Mendoza’s selection is expected around 5:08 p.m. PST.

Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2025, has been widely anticipated as the Raiders’ pick since January, with analysts noting his potential to join an exclusive group of Heisman winners selected first overall in the NFL Draft.

Indiana’s quarterback demonstrated elite performance throughout the 2025 college football season, leading the Hoosiers to a strong campaign and earning national recognition for his dual-threat ability and leadership on the field.

The selection of Mendoza would mark a pivotal moment for the Raiders’ franchise, which has not had a first-round quarterback since 2018. Team officials and analysts view the pick as an opportunity to reset the team’s trajectory following multiple seasons of struggle.

As draft night approaches, Raiders fans await the official announcement that could reshape the organization’s future, with Mendoza seen as the catalyst to end a period of frustration and begin a new era of competitiveness in the AFC West.