The NFL Draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh, and the only remaining suspense about the first pick is whether the Las Vegas Raiders will announce Fernando Mendoza's name before or after the commissioner finishes his sentence. [1] Mendoza visited the Raiders facility this week — a meeting Adam Schefter described as scheduled for the "presumptive No. 1 overall pick." [2]

Mendoza earned the consensus by doing something no quarterback in major college football had done recently: winning every game. He led Indiana to an undefeated 16-0 season and a national championship, a run so dominant that the draft conversation shifted from "who should go first" to "how many teams would trade their entire draft to move up." [1] NFL general managers surveyed by multiple outlets have been uniform in their assessment. Mendoza is the pick.

The draft carries a subplot. The Kansas City Chiefs hold the number-nine pick, their first top-ten selection since 2017, when they used the tenth pick on a quarterback from Texas Tech named Patrick Mahomes. [2] That decision produced three Super Bowl titles. Kansas City is not shopping for a quarterback this time, but their presence in the top ten is a reminder that draft-night decisions echo for a decade.

Pittsburgh will host the event. Mendoza will hear his name first.

-- AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos