Fernando Mendoza was always going to be the pick. Las Vegas Raiders fans knew it, the front office and coaching staff knew it, and everyone around the NFL knew it. But it didn't become official until Thursday night, when the Silver and Black officially made him the No. 1 choice in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This caps off quite a run for the Indiana product, as the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion quarterback for the Hoosiers put another feather in his cap, the Holy Trinity of accolades or accomplishments for a college football player in a single season.
In fact, by doing so, Mendoza has already joined an elite list of players before ever taking an NFL snap. Only former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton achieved the same feats in the modern era of the NFL. That is quite a crew to be a part of.
Fernando Mendoza joins elite list after Las Vegas Raiders make him No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Burrow, much like Mendoza, came out of nowhere for a lot of fans during the 2019 college football season and led a loaded LSU Tigers roster to a National Championship win over Clemson. Burrow also won the Heisman Trophy and was chosen first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020.
Newton was more of a known commodity at Auburn, but he and the Tigers went undefeated during the 2010 season and took down Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Title Game. Newton won the Heisman Trophy, and the Carolina Panthers took him at No. 1 in the 2011 draft.
Now, it should also be noted that Jameis Winston had a similar run in college, but he didn't do it all in the same season. After winning the Heisman Trophy and a National Title with the Florida State Seminoles in 2013, he didn't enter the draft until 2015, when the Tampa Bay Bucs selected him first.
Before the AFL-NFL merger, which does not count for the "modern era" of the league, Notre Dame right end Leon Hart and quarterback Angelo Bertelli accomplished these feats in 1950 and 1943, respectively. Salute to those legends and pioneers of the game.
But going back to the list that Mendoza just joined, the Raiders' young signal-caller is in elite company. Burrow is one of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation, Newton was a great player and iconic figure, and even Winston has enjoyed his moments in the sun.
Not only has Burrow been to a Super Bowl and earned three Pro Bowl nods, despite an injury-riddled career, but he has finished top four in MVP voting twice. He's also led the league in numerous passing categories over the years, and Burrow currently holds the all-time completion percentage record.
In 2015, Newton won the MVP award and led his Panthers team to a Super Bowl. And even though they came up short that year, Newton still has a First-Team All-Pro and three Pro Bowl appearances to his name. He was a defining player in the league and an iconic dual-threat quarterback.
If Mendoza could even end up in the same ballpark as either of these players, albeit with a bit more longevity and sustained success, then Raider Nation would simply not be able to contain itself with excitement or satisfaction.
Mendoza, like Burrow and Newton, didn't earn these accolades for no reason. His joining this elusive list is a testament to what a special prospect he is, but it should also only be the beginning of what Mendoza accomplishes in the NFL.