On Thursday night, the Denver Broncos had to watch the first round of the 2026 NFL draft unfold from the sidelines. The Jaylen Waddle trade last month cost the Broncos their first and third-round pick, which means they can’t join the draft party until pick No. 62 on Day 2, barring a trade-up.
That wasn’t the case for Denver’s AFC West rivals. All three made selections in Round 1 of the draft, and while we await Day 2’s festivities and the Broncos finally getting in the game, let’s break down how the AFC West clubs made out.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana
As expected, the Raiders drafted the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion. Mendoza did not attend the draft in Pittsburgh, opting to stay at home surrounded by family, which created some, shall we say, interesting optics for the Raiders and the NFL.
It’s official, though. Mendoza serves as the first draft pick of the Klint Kubiak head-coaching era. In a weak quarterback class, Mendoza rose to the top, but some wonder whether he’d be a bona fide first-rounder, let alone the No. 1 overall pick, in a little bit deeper draft.
Mendoza is a cerebral quarterback and he knows how to win. The kid is a smart competitor, but after seeing Kirk Cousins sign with the Raiders recently, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly Kubiak inserts his No. 1 pick into the starting lineup.
Kansas City Chiefs: Mansoor Delane | CB | LSU &