All eyes were on Fernando Mendoza on Monday as he warmed up on the field and prepared to lead the Indiana Hoosiers into the College Football Playoff national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. But there was one group in the building whose power in watching Mendoza was a little higher than most.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek were spotted on the sidelines by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, presumably to get one in-game look at the No. 1 pick target in the 2026 NFL draft (as predicted in USA TODAY’s latest mock draft). The Raiders, who finished the season with the worst record in the league at 4-13, held that.
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To clear up any remaining ambiguity as to why they were there, franchise owner Tom Brady was later seen standing next to Davis and Spytek wearing a silver hoodie with “Raiders” emblazoned across the chest.
As explained in USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, Mendoza has absolutely no competition for the top spot on the roster, even now that Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has decided to stay in school for another year. The Raiders have been in desperate need of a signal caller since parting ways with Derek Carr at the end of the 2022 season, so it seems inevitable that Mendoza will get a call from the Las Vegas brass this spring.
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
1. New York Jets – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
1. New York Jets – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
3. Arizona Cardinals – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
4. Tennessee Titans – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
5. New York Giants – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
6. Cleveland Browns – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
7. Washington Chiefs – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiah Love, RB, Notre Dame
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
9. Kansas City Chiefs – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
12. Dallas Cowboys – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
14. Baltimore Ravens – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
17. Detroit Lions – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
18. Minnesota Vikings – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
25. Chicago Bears – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
26. Buffalo Bills – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
28. Houston Texans – Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
29. Los Angeles Rams – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
30. New England Patriots – Zion Young, DE, Missouri
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
31. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
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2026 NFL mock draft: Where do the top stars of the College Football Playoff rate?
32. Seattle Seahawks – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
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This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Miami Raiders to watch Fernando Mendoza in national championship
