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T<\/span>he Las Vegas Raiders<\/strong> stuck to the script on NFL Draft<\/strong> night, selecting Indiana quarterback and Heisman Trophy<\/strong> winner Fernando Mendoza<\/strong> with the first overall pick. Mendoza arrives in the desert with a massive mandate: revitalize a rebuilding franchise and pull the Raiders out of the AFC West<\/strong> cellar following a dismal campaign.<\/p>\n In a move to keep his college brand intact, Mendoza has officially chosen to wear No. 15, the same jersey he donned during his storied run at Indiana<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The pick follows an aggressive offseason for Las Vegas<\/strong>, highlighted by the free-agent signing of veteran Kirk Cousins<\/strong>. While Mendoza is the clear future of the franchise, a quarterback competition<\/strong> isn’t necessarily in the cards for Week 1. All signs point to Cousins starting under center as the QB1<\/strong>, allowing the rookie to acclimate to the NFL’s speed.<\/p>\n Unlike Cousins’ previous stint in Atlanta<\/strong>-where the Michael Penix Jr.<\/strong> selection caught the league by surprise-this dynamic is transparent. Cousins has been brought in with a defined mentorship role<\/strong> to usher in the Mendoza era. Mendoza brings a dangerous dual-threat quarterback<\/strong> skill set to the pros, but the Raiders are prepared for the inevitable growing pains that come with a rookie signal-caller in a developing system.<\/p>\nRaiders draft Fernando Mendoza No. 1 verall to lead franchise rebuild<\/h2>\n