LAS VEGAS (KTNV) \u2014 As the Las Vegas Raiders look ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, early betting markets are already shaping the conversation around the No. 1 overall pick.<\/p>\n
Fernando Mendoza has emerged as the clear favorite, according to Brandon Kennedy, director of race and sport at Durango Casino.<\/p>\n
Kennedy pointed to Mendoza\u2019s accolades as a major reason he sits atop draft boards.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe won the Heisman, so he deserves to be the number one favorite,\u201d Kennedy said, adding that the Raiders\u2019 needs also factor heavily into the discussion. \u201cDesperate need of a quarterback, also desperate need of a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mendoza\u2019s position as the presumptive No. 1 pick was further solidified Wednesday when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced on ESPN\u2019s SportsCenter that he will return to school for the 2026 season, opting out of the upcoming draft. Moore had been viewed as a potential top selection, and his decision effectively narrowed the quarterback field at the top of the class. <\/p>\n
Holding the No. 1 pick after a 3\u201314 season gives Las Vegas flexibility, whether that means selecting a franchise quarterback or trading back to stockpile assets.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Raiders definitely need some draft capital, whether that\u2019s in future drafts or this year,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cIt could go either way. It\u2019s really, when you have the No. 1 pick, there\u2019s nobody picking in front of you, so you get to do whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the decision were made today, Kennedy said he expects the Raiders to stay put.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m taking Fernando Mendoza, No. 1 overall. I think the Raiders keep it,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think they want to gamble, although we\u2019re in the city of gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy also emphasized why Mendoza is viewed as a low-risk option at the top of the draft, pointing to his demeanor and preparation off the field.<\/p>\n
Kennedy pointed to Mendoza\u2019s approach off the field as part of his appeal, noting that in interviews the quarterback has said YouTube and LinkedIn are the only apps on his phone. \u201cThis kid is all football, all business,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cHe was at Cal Berkeley before this \u2014 really smart kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
That mindset, Kennedy said, could resonate during the pre-draft process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everybody\u2019s going to be really thrilled with his football knowledge when he does his draft interviews,\u201d he said. \u201cI think he\u2019s just a good kid and everybody\u2019s really looking forward to bringing him into their facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a Raiders fan base coming off a difficult season, Kennedy said the No. 1 pick has already created optimism.<\/p>\n
\u201cNumber one pick creates a lot of hype and a lot of hope for the fan base,\u201d he said. \u201cYou control your own destiny. The Raiders are on the clock now. I think they\u2019re ready to go. I think they\u2019re ready to take a quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAS VEGAS (KTNV) \u2014 As the Las Vegas Raiders look ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, early betting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":685977,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2065],"tags":[5684,5685,5686,7,5687,1744,5688,5689,393,5690,2455,2454,6,5691,5692,525],"class_list":["post-685976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-las-vegas-raiders","tag-13-action-news","tag-abc-13","tag-allegiant-stadium","tag-football","tag-ktnv-tv-channel-13","tag-las-vegas","tag-las-vegas-football-team","tag-las-vegas-nfl","tag-las-vegas-raiders","tag-las-vegas-sports","tag-lasvegas","tag-lasvegasraiders","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-football-in-las-vegas","tag-nfl-las-vegas","tag-raiders"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115914906412295572","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/685977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}