Humility & Grind: Mendoza's Raiders Journey

0:00It's April 24. I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today, football news powered by AI. Fernando Mendoza just got picked number one overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL draft, but this quarterback is keeping it real humble from jump. He's straight up calling himself the underdog, even after that top spot, saying he's at the bottom of the totem pole in the league right earlier this week, right after the draft, Mendoza laid it out clear, being one out of 32 picks doesn't make him the top quarterback yet. Gotta grind every day to climb up. Meanwhile, he's focused on earning respect from his veteran teammates, building that equity in the locker room before he can lead. For the Raiders rebuilding around him, this mindset is gold. It shows a rookie ready to immerse himself and do whatever it takes to stack wins and prove he belongs.