The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking just the second time in franchise history that they will have their choice of every prospect in the draft. While the leadership brass has not publicly revealed its plans, it is widely expected that Fernando Mendoza will hear his name called to begin the draft.
The franchise has not selected a quarterback in the first round since it last held the top overall pick in 2007, when JaMarcus Russell was drafted. Although there are pundits who have questioned how Mendoza will play at the next level, the overwhelming consensus is that he has a bright future in the NFL.
He has drawn plenty of lofty comparisons with Mel Kiper Jr. recently going as far as calling him a mix of Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan. Mendoza was compared to yet another former No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday, as Colin Cowherd discussed similarities between the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow.
Las Vegas Raiders fans will be thrilled if Colin Cowherd's Fernando Mendoza-Joe Burrow comparison comes true
Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be selected No. 1 overall. Ian Rapoport recently shared that he expects the former Indiana Hoosiers star to join Burrow and Cam Newton on an exclusive list, becoming just the third quarterback to win the Heisman, win a national title, and be selected No. 1 overall in the same year.
"This feels like a player, to me, that the Raiders are convicted over. His visit went really well. They left his visit being like, 'Alright, we know that this is the guy, really like the intelligence, really like the intangibles.'"
With Mendoza considered virtually a lock to be selected No. 1 overall, Cowherd compared him to Bengals star Joe Burrow.
"They both were unbelievable their last year in college. Both won the Heisman. Both won Nattys. They're pocket-based, although Burrow moves better. Both were transfers. Both late bloomers, not dominant the year before they popped in college. Both had 16 touchdowns passes the year before they were drafted. They were just okay, they weren't really on anybody's radar. Both are pocket-based. Both highly accurate. Burrow's No. 1 skill is accuracy, very rarely makes a mistake in the red zone. That's exactly Mendoza's strength, ball placement. In fact, Burrow at LSU, at the time the best conference, completed 76% of his throws. Mendoza, in the Big Ten, wins a Natty in the best conference now in college football, completed 72%. Both come from humble parents. They're family kids... Humble kids, hard working, excellent accuracy, tremendous in the red zone, and the other thing they have in common is Burrow, before he was drafted by the Bengals, was already deep diving into Zac Taylor's playbook. And we've seen two different stories or more on Fernando Mendoza, before he's drafted by the Raiders, is already a mile deep into Klint Kubiak's playbook."
While Burrow has battled injuries in his career, it is hard to argue with the results he has provided when healthy. In just the second season of his career, and his first full season healthy, he took the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 seasons, while also snapping a 31-year drought without a postseason victory.
Of course, Cincinnati has not reached those heights in the four years since. After falling in the AFC Championship Game the following year, they have not returned to the postseason in the past three seasons. That is no fault of Burrow's, however, as he has been hindered by injuries, along with a poor offensive line and defense.
The Raiders, who fell to the Bengals during their 2021 run to the Super Bowl, have not won a postseason game since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002. If Mendoza can turn things around for the franchise as quickly as Burrow did in Cincinnati, fans would be thrilled with that outcome.
Ultimately, the goal of any team should be winning a Super Bowl. Times have been so bleak for Raider Nation for over two decades, however, and simply changing the culture and helping the franchise start taking steps in the right direction would be a great starting point.
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