The 2026 NFL Draft happened recently, and there were a few major picks and strategies across teams.
The first team to pick in the NFL 2026 draft was the Las Vegas Raiders. They had a terrible record last year and really need to bounce back. The Raiders drafted quarterback Fernando Mendoza; last year, the Raiders ranked 30th in QBR the last two seasons. They had quarterback Geno Smith, who threw 7 interceptions almost each game. They needed a new quarterback after that because Geno wasn’t winning games for them. These picks really need to help them because last year the Raiders disappointed all the fans.
Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 draft pick this year, attended University of California, Berkeley, in 2022-2024. He transferred to Indiana University for the 2025 football season. Although he transferred, Fernando Mendoza went on to have an undefeated season and went on to win the National championship game against Miami Hurricanes. After, he was nominated for a Heisman Trophy that he ended up winning, being the first Indiana player to win. He was a big impact to the team and had a good bond with all his teammates, creating good team chemistry. Even after everything, he held his head high; ESPN says, “Fernando Mendoza thanked his mom for everything… she is my biggest supporter and I always do everything for her to make her proud…love you mom.”
This year is the Philadelphia Eagles’ rebuild draft since losing key players of their team, as well as a crushing loss to the 49ers in the playoffs last year that really took a toll on the team chemistry. They realized they needed to make changes to the team after everything. It started off by trading safety Reed Blankenship to the Houston Texans before the draft. During the draft, they stole a pick and drafted wide receiver Makai Lemon so they could get rid of the other one that was already on the team. It didn’t stop there though, because they then drafted a 6,4’, 306 pound defensive tackle named Uar Bernard from Nigeria. The plan is to make him a football beast, even though he has barely any experience. The Eagles then made more good trades with other teams, making the defense look scary for this upcoming season. NFL reporters state, “Howie Roseman repeatedly saying… I won’t stop until we get back there.” What he means by that is he won’t stop trying until his team is back in the Superbowl.
The NFL was founded in 1920 but was called APEA at the time. In 1922 it was re-named from APEA to NFL. During that time, there were only 14 teams in the NFL draft; now there are 32 teams and two different conferences, called the AFC and NFC, with 4 different divisions and 4 teams in each one. In 1970, the AFL and NFL merged together into one coalition, calling it the NFL. Over the years, teams re-named themselves and changed their logos to make them more modern.
