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NFL Draft rundown: Las Vegas Raiders prepare to make history with first overall pick

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PITTSBURGH (KTNV) — The Silver and Black will make history tonight during the 2026 NFL Draft.

We have team coverage as the Las Vegas Raiders get ready to select the No. 1 draft pick for the first time in 19 years.

🔴 Watch our team coverage from Las Vegas and Pittsburgh 🔴

Channel 13 Sports Special: NFL Draft

John Spytek and Klint Kubiak are in the war room, moments away from likely making the move this organization has been building toward all off-season: Fernando Mendoza to the Silver and Black.

But for a player who's expected to go No. 1 overall, his path here has been anything but traditional.

  • Mendoza was a two-star recruit out of high school who started his career at Cal before transferring to Indiana, where he led the Hoosiers to a historic undefeated season. That season, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, earning him the Heisman and finishing it off with a national title.

Also this off-season, the Raiders brought in veteran NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins as a possible bridge and mentor for Mendoza. And if one veteran quarterback wasn't enough, Mendoza will also have the opportunity to be mentored by the greatest of all time, Tom Brady.

We'll find out for certain when the NFL Draft kicks off at 5 p.m. on Channel 13.


NFL Draft SPONS
Channel 13 is your home for the three-day NFL Draft frenzy and the Las Vegas Raiders' highly anticipated first-round pick.

Wednesday

We are just one day away from the Las Vegas Raiders drafting first overall in this year's NFL Draft.

Channel 13 sports reporter Alex Eschelman has boots on the ground for the three-day football frenzy in Pittsburgh, where loyal fans from the Black Hole are fired up about what could be one of the most important drafts in team history.

Black Hole hype in Pittsburgh ahead of Raiders' Round 1 pick

The Raiders are expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick on Thursday night.

He would join a new coach, a number of new faces in free agency and will lead a new direction for the franchise.

The NFL Draft starts at 5 p.m. Thursday on ABC and Channel 13. Channel 13's sports team will help break down the highlights with special coverage after the draft. Here's when to watch:

  • Thursday at 4:30 p.m. | Channel 13 Sports Special: NFL Draft
  • Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. | NFL Draft, Round 1
  • Thursday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Channel 13 News: Special Edition
  • Friday at 3 p.m. | Channel 13 Sports Special: NFL Draft
  • Friday, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | NFL Draft, Rounds 2 and 3
  • Friday, 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Channel 13 News: Special Edition
  • Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | NFL Draft, Rounds 4-7
  • Saturday at 4 p.m. | Channel 13 Sports: Post-NFL Draft Special
  • Saturday, 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Channel 13 News: Special Edition

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Alex Eschelman

Alex Eschelman

Sports Multimedia Journalist

Taylor Rocha

Taylor Rocha

Sports Multimedia Journalist