Raiders pick Fernando Mendoza first in NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night, making the former Indiana quarterback the third Latino ever drafted first in the NFL Draft.

Mendoza, who watched the draft in his native Miami to share the moment with his parents, made history as the first Cuban American ever picked No. 1 in the NFL Draft. The first two Latinos picked first overall are Mexican American quarterbacks.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mendoza joins former Stanford great Jim Plunkett and Alabama’s Bryce Young as the only Latinos taken first in the history of the NFL Draft. Mendoza will join a Raiders’ organization rich in Latino history over the franchise’s time in Oakland, Los Angeles, back in Oakland and then Las Vegas.

Following rich Latino legacy

Tom Flores became the first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl when he led the 1980 Raiders to the title. He and the Raiders repeated the feat in 1983. Plunkett became the first Latino starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl when he guided the 1980 Raiders to the championship.

Mendoza guided Indiana to an undefeated season and the Hoosiers’ first football national championship as a redshirt junior. He transferred to Indiana after playing his first two seasons at Cal, where he graduated before enrolling at Indiana.

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He threw for 3,525 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 273 of 379 pass attempts last season. Mendoza also rushed for seven touchdowns and 276 yards on 90 carries in his lone season at Indiana.

More Latinos on the board

Along the way, Fernando Mendoza was an All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year while also winning the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Heisman Trophies.

Mendoza highlights one of the deepest crops of Latino NFL Draft prospects in history. Fellow All-Americans KC Concepcion of Texas A&M and Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech also are top prospects this year.

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up, also is in this draft class. Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York, a three-year starter and two-year captain, is another top prospect.

“The last 5 months has been such a blessing by God, and I can’t thank Him enough. I’m just looking forward to get to work, prove at the next level. College was fantastic. I’m so blessed to have that career, but now I step into a great game, the NFL. Look forward to proving and earning it every single day.”

“What a great organization, great legacy. There’s so many great teammates I’m looking forward to, to, to talking to, coaches, owners. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.”