NFL Draft: Mendoza's Top Pick, Drama Unfolds

0:00It's April 23rd, I'm Cory with the story. This is NFL News Today, driven by AI and Bill for football fans. The NFL draft kicks off Thursday night in Pittsburgh, with the Las Vegas Raiders holding the first pick after tying for the worst three win. Fourteen loss record last season and winning the tiebreaker on Strength of Schedule. All 32 teams pick in reverse order of standings, wrapping up 257 selections over three days. Fernando Mendoza, the 22-year-old Indiana quarterback who snagged the Heisman and led his team to a national title, looks locked in as the top, choice to fix the Raider's signal collar woes. This year's quarterback class spills thin compared to last, when six win the first well picks, but Mendoza stands alone as a surefire, first rounder. Guys like Alabama's Thai Simpson might sneak in early two, while others, such as Georgia's Carson Beck or Vanderbilt's short stack Diego Pavia, could slide as projects.

1:00Meanwhile, the Raiders, Jets, Cardinals and Titans all desperately need arms, setting up some tense trades. Last year's draft blew minds when preseason favorite Shedder Sanders tumbled to the fifth round, 144 though overall, igniting a social. Media frenzy that even caught President Trump's eye. Fans are buzzing again, expecting drama as Ohio State's national champs by pass rusher Arville Reese and safety Caleb Downs cracked the top 10. Defensive fronts dominate this class, with depth at wide outs and running backs rounding it out. Scouts are eyeing risers like massive defensive tackle Lee Hunter, nicknamed The Fridge, an international wild card Erie Bernard from Nigeria via the Leeds Player Pathway program. Brothers pairs and late bloomers add flavor, but Mendoza's skipping the green room in Miami with family, keeping eyes on Pittsburgh's North Shore. Stage. Expect picks to fly faster with first round clocks cut to 8 minutes, drawing up to 700,000

2:00fans to the free event dubbed. Pittsburgh. Three days of wheeling and dealing started APM Eastern Thursday, promising shocks that could reshape the league for years.