Fernando Mendoza’s draft fate sealed as Las Vegas Raiders open door on No 1 pick trade talks

Could a dramatic twist in the tale of the Draft be on the horizon?

It’s an open secret across the league at this point that the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to select Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

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The Raiders have already prepared for his arrival, spending heavily in free agency and signing Kirk Cousins to act as a bridge and mentor for the rookie.

Despite the clear and obvious preparation, it hasn’t stopped teams below the Raiders from calling their phone and asking for a possible trade up scenario.

Raiders general manager John Spytek spoke during a pre-NFL Draft conference, during which he admitted to receiving a “few calls” about the No.1 pick.

“Those teams know where they stand,” Spytek said, via ESPN.

Spytek has been open-minded about trade offers, and you wouldn’t mention it if you aren’t leaving the door slightly open, something which he echoed later during the conference.

“If there’s a player that stands out that we feel it’s not worth losing, it’s not worth even picking up the phone, then we’ll just make the pick,” Spytek added.

“But if it’s a player we’re not excited about, or there’s a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, we’re certainly open to listening to that.”

It sounds like Spytek will entertain offers for later round picks, but not the first-pick. But, things can always change at the right price.

Teams could get very desperate on April 23, and there must be a price, and it’s for a good reason.

The Indiana Hoosiers quarterback led his team to its first undefeated season in program history, and also earned the Heisman Trophy.

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Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He would also add an additional 276 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.

Mendoza leads a slim quarterback class, with Ty Simpson the only other QB whose name has been fielded in Day 1 mock drafts.

If he were to be made a Raider, he would become the 30th quarterback to go at No.1 in the common draft era, which began in 1967.

It’s not the first time that Las Vegas and trading the first overall pick has been mentioned in the same sentence.

There have been concerns over his NFL comparison, who was named as Jared Goff, and some believe Simpson is the better option overall.

Fox analyst Colin Cowherd thinks the Raiders’ environment won’t be a good fit for the 22-year-old and the additional weaknesses on the roster should take priority.

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But Vegas have invested heavily in their roster, and they will have nine-more picks after making the first selection in the draft.

It’s all but a certainty that Mendoza will be made a Raider. But, at the right price, the possibility of a trade shouldn’t be ruled out

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