Raiders face big decision on NFL Draft No. 1 pick after Spytek's comments

The Las Vegas Raiders are picking Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next week, right?

For the past two months, it has felt like an inevitability that the Raiders would take the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who led the Indiana Hoosiers to an unprecedented College Football Playoff championship.

But a week before the draft, the Raiders general manager, John Spytek, is doing what the best minds in Las Vegas do: keep their cards close to their chest.

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In a predraft press conference interview, Spytek admitted that he had talked to opposing teams about the No. 1 pick and the value that his team sees in that selection.

“If there’s a player that stands out that we feel it’s not worth losing, it’s not worth even picking up the phone, then we’ll just make the pick,” he said. “But if it’s a player that we’re not as excited about, or there’s a group of players that we would love to pick from, and we can get value for that, we’re certainly open to listening to that.”

Is Mendoza a can’t-miss player that the Raiders wouldn’t trade even for a king’s ransom?

The New York Jets sit at No. 2 and are also in need of a franchise QB, currently running with Geno Smith as their starter for the 2026 season, the signal-caller who led the Raiders to the worst record in football.

After the Buffalo Sabres qualified for the NHL postseason last week, the Jets became the franchise in the four major North American sports leagues with the longest playoff drought.

It’s been 15 years for Jets fans, and with the pressure to find that leader in green who can lead them to the promised land, they could be desperate to trade anything to get Mendoza in their colors.

“We all understand there’s not a ton of patience in the job that we chose here,” Spytek added during the interview. “But if you can find some level of patience and put people in positions when they’re ready, that’s the best way forward.”

The Raiders face a gigantic decision next week that, whether they keep it or trade it, will shape the franchise’s future for possibly decades.

Spytek can hold his cards now, but next week in Pittsburgh, the world will watch if he goes all-in on Mendoza or takes a different path to finding a franchise quarterback.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 8:30 AM.