What time are the Raiders picking in the first round of the NFL Draft?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 26: Fernando Mendoza #QB11 of Indiana poses for a portrait during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Las Vegas Raiders enter the 2026 NFL draft with the third-worst odds (+590) in the AFC to make the playoffs next season, according to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook. However, the Raiders are widely expected to make former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza the No. 1 pick of the draft on Thursday night, who looks to flip those odds as the impending face of the franchise.

Over the last several months, Raider Nation has been patiently waiting for Mendoza to officially be heading for Las Vegas since the pairing has been written in the stars since January. Despite the long wait, Thursday can feel like torture until Roger Goodell kicks off the draft by reading the Heisman Trophy winner’s name off the card, especially for a fanbase that has seen its fair share of “what can go wrong, will go wrong” scenarios.

So, when will the Raiders be picking in the first round, and ultimately, secure their quarterback of the future in Mendoza? The draft is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. PST, and luckily, the league shortened the time teams have to get their first-round picks in from ten to eight minutes this year.

That means we should hear Goodell say: “With the first pick of the 2026 NFL draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Indiana” at about 5:08 p.m. PST.

As for whether the former Hoosier can lead the Silver and Black to the postseason in year one, we have seen a few rookie quarterbacks make the playoffs over the last few seasons. In 2024, both and did it, pulled it off the year before, and only made five regular-season starts in 2022 but went 5-0 to finish off what and started.