Fernando Mendoza, the No 1 pick of NFL Draft to the Raiders, tasked with returning a legacy franchise to glory

The block around Fernando Mendoza’s home in Coral Gables, Florida was roped off by early afternoon on Thursday and the roast pig – a lechon asado to Cubans like the Mendozas – was in the Caja China all day.

No, Mendoza didn’t make it to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL draft. But his family's draft party in South Florida was, by all accounts, epic.

And that’s the way it should be because it was befitting of Mendoza being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick of the draft.

"The last five...