Watch CBS News The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday night in Pittsburgh with a quarterback being taken No. 1 overall for the fourth straight year. The Las Vegas Raiders, as was widely expected, selected QB Fernando Mendoza, who capped his stellar Heisman season by leading Indiana to its first national title in school history. The choice of Mendoza marks an attempt by Raiders minority owner Tom Brady — the legendary QB who won a staggering seven Super Bowl rings — to mentor an heir apparent of sorts, giving Las Vegas a clean slate as it enters a major rebuild following the disappointing one-and-done tenures of head coach Pete Carrol and QB Geno Smith. A general view of the draft tent is seen prior to Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jason Miller / Getty Images A major unknown heading into Thursday was the fate of powerful Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, arguably the draft's best athlete. That question was quickly answered when he heard his name called by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall. With the position no longer considered premium, it is often overlooked at the top of the first round. Love was the first running back taken in the top 3 since the Cleveland Browns selected Trent Richardson at No. 3 in 2012. He…
Published: April 23, 2026 4:40 pm
Source: CBS News — Read original