Raiders' Mendoza Skips Draft, Eyes Franchise Role

0:00It's April 23rd. This is NFL News Today, AI-powered stories from around the league. I'm Cory with the story. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off this weekend Pittsburgh, and word is, they're eyeing. Heisman Trophy went in quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana as their top choice. This guy is a first round luck, but he's skipping the glitz and staying home to celebrate with family if he gets called. Half-runs Thursday, April 23rd through Saturday, April 25th, starting with Round 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, Friday's rounds 2 and 3 begin at 7 p.m. Eastern, and Saturday's rounds 4 through 7 start at noon Eastern. Catch it all on ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, or Streaming Options, like NFL Plus. Fans are buzzing about Mendoza's no-show move, calling it a smart play to keep things low key amid the hype. He's joined by other studs like Notre Dame, Running Back, Jeremiah Love, Ohio State Safety,

1:02Caleb Downs, and Linebacker, Arville Reese, Plus Miami Edge, Russia Ruben Bane Jr. as top prospect shaking of team rosters. Behind the Raiders, the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans pick next in Round 1, with trades already mixing up the full order, through 7 rounds. Fans like the Chiefs and Cowboys have multiple shots to rebuild. As pick start flying, keep an eye on how this reshapes the league. Raiders could land their franchise guy without the spotlight stealing the moment.