When the Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft Thursday night, they got a Heisman Trophy winner who still sees himself as the 288th-ranked recruit from Florida. That mindset, Mendoza said, fuels his drive.

“That underdog mentality is always still there, but it’s about having unwavering optimism,” Mendoza said. “Although they ranked me 288th, I didn’t see myself as that, because I didn’t see myself as a ranking.”

Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback, became the cornerstone of a Raiders rebuild that already included free-agent signing Kirk Cousins. General manager John Spytek and coach Klint Kubiak have stressed patience, and Mendoza echoed that sentiment.

“Although the draft was today, once I got drafted, I’m now part of the NFL, and I can tell you right now I am not one out of 32,” he said. “I need to work every single day possible, because I’m on the bottom of the totem pole.”

Spytek praised Mendoza’s humility. “I respect his humility, which I think can be a little underrated in our profession,” Spytek said. “There is a humility and awareness to him that he knows this is a really big jump.”

Mendoza’s mother’s advice — “Don’t put a ceiling over your head” — helped unlock his growth. He said he views the draft as a start, not a finish, and plans to earn his teammates’ respect. “Fortune favors the bold,” he added. “If it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll be able to sleep easy at night 20 years down the road.”