Would Fernando Mendoza start for the Raiders in 2026?

The first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft isn't official for another few hours on Thursday, but for all intents and purposes, the New York Jets are already on the clock with the No. 2 pick.

In Pittsburgh on Thursday, it is widely expected that the Raiders will draft the reigning Heisman Award winner and national champion quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.

Although Mendoza will not be in Pittsburgh for the monumental event, as he declined to spend the draft with his family and everyone who helped him on his road to the pros in his home city of Miami.

But the question following tonight's announcement will be whether Mendoza will be the full-on starter from day one with the Raiders.

The team went and signed veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins in the offseason. Cousins, who has been openly supportive of Las Vegas taking Mendoza, was also open about the fact that the Raiders promised him he'd have a chance at the starting job this offseason.

According to multiple reports around the league, the Raiders don't want to rush Mendoza into the lion's den that is the AFC West, which houses three of the conference's strongest teams.

While it's customary for the No. 1 overall quarterback to immediately start, as Baker Mayfield did in 2018, the last first overall to sit on the bench, things might be different in Vegas with Mendoza.

The Raiders know they are far out from competing in a difficult AFC West, and the last time they picked a QB No. 1 overall, it was a disaster in the form of JaMarcus Russell.

So, although history points to the Hoosiers signal-caller as the starter in week one, Cousins' words about competition and the rumors that the Raiders want to take things slow suggest a possible delayed start to the Mendoza era in Las Vegas.