Fernando Mendoza's sidekick could be a first-round pick
Omar Cooper Jr.'s stock keeps rising.
Fernando Mendoza's sidekick could be a first-round pick originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . For months, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been written in Sharpie as the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders won the sweepstakes, winning not only the right to take their franchise quarterback but the extra time to spend on the rest of the draft, too. In a league driven by parity, it's soft factors like those that make the first pick in an easy class all the more important. Mendoza isn't the most promising passer to hear his name called first in recent memory.
He's not the biggest, or the strongest, or the fastest. But after his tantalizingly efficient season, a successful Heisman campaign, and a championship to his name, Mendoza is a well-deserving inaugural selection. The only question for the Hoosier faithful is how many of his teammates will join him in Round 1.
Is Omar Cooper Jr. a first-round pick? Wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.