No Gambling in Vegas: Fernando Mendoza and The 2026 NFL Draft
Justin Loretz
Sports Editor
You may have thought the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit was big, but Pittsburgh just told all of us to “hold their hoagie.” This past weekend, the Steel City did not just host the 2026 NFL Draft; it staged a takeover. For the first time since 1948, the draft returned to the city where it was born, and the fans showed up in a way we have never seen before.
805,000 attendees turned out over a span of three days, absolutely obliterating the previous record. The NFL turned Pittsburgh into a massive football “playground.” The main stage sat right outside Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore, while the “Draft Experience” fan fest took over Point State Park across the river. What might have been the coolest part, however, was seeing the Roberto Clemente Bridge closed to cars and turned into a massive pedestrian party with thousands of fans walking across the Allegheny River. And for those there that were not walking, they were likely taking the Gateway Clipper Fleet, with boats shuttling fans back and forth. It was basically a three-day tailgate on the water.
When draft day rolled around for the first round, there would be no jitters for the Las Vegas Raiders. While most years involve some uncertainty at the top, this year was the Fernando Mendoza show from start to finish. The Raiders took the Indiana quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, and they would have been crazy not to. Mendoza is coming off arguably the greatest individual season in college football history in terms of accolades—sweeping the Heisman Trophy, leading Indiana to a 16-0 National Championship, and now being the consensus top pick.
But Mendoza’s appeal goes beyond his arm and on the field successes. Right after bringing Indiana a title, he posted a thread to LinkedIn titled: “Here’s what winning a National Championship taught me about B2B sales (kidding, kinda).” It was not just a meme; it was a manifesto. Mendoza treats his football career with the process-driven discipline of a Silicon Valley executive, often engaging with his network with the kind of humbled and hungry professional polish that makes him look more like a Fortune 500 CEO than a rookie signal-caller. With all this in mind, not even Las Vegas, the ultimate home of high-stakes gambling, wanted to roll the dice, and instead they made a blue-chip investment on someone they hope to finally become the face of the franchise for years to come. Mendoza leaned into the bit perfectly. Moments after the pick was announced, he officially removed his LinkedIn status tag of “Open to Work” off of his profile, essentially closing his own “deal” in front of millions.
While the Raiders played it safe, the Arizona Cardinals chose to set the table for chaos at number three. In an era where “running backs don’t matter,” Arizona bucked every analytical trend by selecting Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame). It was the highest a back has been taken since Saquon Barkley in 2018—a massive risk that stood in stark contrast to Mendoza’s stability.
Elsewhere, the “Ohio State Pipeline” essentially turned the first eleven picks into a Buckeyes reunion, with four of them being drafted (something that has not happened since 1967). With Carnell Tate going to Tennessee at No. 4 and Arvell Reese heading to New York at No. 5, the Big Ten’s dominance was the weekend’s loudest subtext. The Kansas City Chiefs showed intention early too and let everyone know that they are still in it to win it, trading up to the sixth pick to snag lockdown corner Mansoor Delane to keep their defensive dynasty intact.
As always, there were many picks that could be seen as head scratchers. One of the biggest shocks of the night came at No. 13, where the LA Rams reached for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Many analysts had Simpson pegged as a fringe first-rounder, and the Rams had one of the most dominant offenses in the league this past season, but General Manager Les Snead clearly saw something the rest of the league missed, betting the farm on Simpson’s mobility to eventually take offer for Stafford in an aging offense.
As the 805,000 fans clear out of the Steel City and the Roberto Clemente Bridge reopens to traffic, the takeaway for 2026 is clear: the gap between the college game and the corporate world has vanished. From Mendoza’s LinkedIn-verified leadership to the record-shattering economic impact in Pittsburgh, the NFL Draft has officially become the world’s most watched “corporate merger.” The rookies now head to minicamp, but for guys like Mendoza, the “onboarding process” has already begun.
Contact Justin at loretzju@shu.edu