Fernando Mendoza has become the new headline name for the Las Vegas Raiders after being taken with the first overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that sets the Florida athlete up for a projected $54.6 million haul.
On Thursday (April 23), the NFL Draft got underway as hundreds of college players looked to secure one of the 257 available selections across the league’s 32 franchises.
Mendoza, a quarterback and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, was chosen first overall by the Raiders, a team part-owned by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
Even with the top-pick spotlight, the Christopher Columbus High School graduate chose not to attend the three-day draft event, opting instead to stay in Miami with family — including his mother, who lives with multiple sclerosis.
“My mom wanted to stay at home. It’s easier. We’ll be on a flight the next day at 7 a.m., so getting ready for that anyway,” the young talent said, as per France24.
“I believe the best thing to do is spend it with the people who have made me who I am. I wanted to be there with everyone who has supported me on this football journey and for the start of this new opportunity.”
At 22, Mendoza becomes the Raiders’ first No. 1 selection since 2007, when the franchise drafted JaMarcus Russell — a pick often cited among the biggest draft disappointments in NFL history.
Like other first-round selections, he is expected to sign a four-year rookie contract with Las Vegas.
But because he went first overall, his total earnings are forecast to outpace most of his draft class, with a projected value of $54.6 million, as per Dazn.
His first-year compensation is expected to land at $9.21 million, before rising to $12.4 million in year two and $14.88 in year three.
If he remains with the Raiders through the fourth year, Mendoza is projected to earn $17.36 million in that final season, after which the team can choose to activate a fifth-year option for 2030.