Kiper Aligns With Industry on Top QB Mendoza in 2026 NFL Draft

ESPN analyst's top QB ranking matches consensus on Colorado's Fernando Mendoza as likely No. 1 overall pick.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 7:05pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a quarterback throwing a football, with sharp overlapping planes in the Raiders' team colors of silver, black, and red, conceptually representing the consensus around Fernando Mendoza as the top QB prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.Kiper's top QB ranking aligns with industry consensus on Mendoza as likely No. 1 draft pickLas Vegas Today

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Shedeur Sanders ranked as his No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft class, but the Colorado QB famously slid all the way to the fifth round. This year, Kiper is on board with the industry consensus, slotting Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in his latest mock draft.

Why it matters

Kiper's strong commitment to Sanders last year was an outlier compared to the rest of the NFL evaluation, but this year his top QB ranking aligns with the broader consensus on Mendoza. This suggests Mendoza is viewed as a more clear-cut top prospect compared to the uncertainty around Sanders' draft stock.

The details

In Kiper's new mock draft released on ESPN.com, he slots Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick to the Raiders, noting "the Raiders need a quarterback solution, and Mendoza has the tools to be a franchise guy. Lock it in." This matches the general industry expectation that Mendoza will be the first QB off the board in 2026.

  • Kiper released his new mock draft on Thursday, April 2, 2026.

The players

Mel Kiper Jr.

A long-time NFL draft analyst for ESPN who is known for his annual draft rankings and predictions.

Fernando Mendoza

A quarterback prospect from the University of Colorado who is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Shedeur Sanders

A quarterback prospect from the University of Colorado who was surprisingly drafted in the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite Kiper ranking him as his top QB in that class.

Cam Ward

A quarterback prospect who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, ahead of Kiper's top-ranked QB Shedeur Sanders.

Las Vegas Raiders

The NFL team that is projected to select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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What they’re saying

“Should we just start mock drafts at No. 2 at this point? The Raiders need a quarterback solution, and Mendoza has the tools to be a franchise guy. Lock it in.”

— Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN Draft Analyst

What’s next

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in late April, where it is expected that Fernando Mendoza will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.

The takeaway

Mel Kiper Jr.'s alignment with the industry consensus on Fernando Mendoza as the top quarterback prospect in 2026 suggests Mendoza is viewed as a more clear-cut top draft choice compared to the uncertainty around Shedeur Sanders' draft stock the previous year.