KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 overall to the Raiders, officially making him the face of the franchise
• No surprises in Round 1 — exactly who everyone expected, and exactly who the Raiders wanted
• Tonight brings Rounds 2-3: the Raiders hold picks at No. 36 and No. 67
• Biggest needs still on the board: receiver help, defensive tackle, cornerback depth

No plot twists. No drama. Just the Raiders doing what they said they were going to do.

Fernando Mendoza heard his name called Thursday night in Pittsburgh, becoming the first player in NFL history to go from the transfer portal to the No. 1 overall pick. He was the last player to leave the green room — and the loudest cheer probably came from Raider Nation. The rest of Round 1 played out predictably, though 16 trades kept things interesting for the rest of the league.

For the Raiders, the only question was who, and the answer was always going to be Mendoza. Now the real work begins.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR TONIGHT — DAY 2 PICKS: 36 AND 67

The Raiders have two picks in the top half of Round 2, and the board is loaded at spots that fill real needs.

No. 36 overall

The case for Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee:

Before his injury, McCoy was widely considered a top-15 talent and the best pure man-corner in the class. Getting a first-round lockdown corner at the top of the second round is the definition of winning the draft. In a division where you have to face Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice a year, you cannot have enough elite secondary help. McCoy has the length and recovery speed to erase WR1s.

Other targets at 36:

Receiver and defensive tackle remain the obvious needs. Elijah Sarratt out of Indiana is the obvious connection: he just put up 830 yards and 15 touchdowns with Mendoza, and his 6-foot-4 frame gives the Raiders red-zone size they’ve lacked. Christen Miller from Georgia is a 6-foot-4, 321-pound space eater who fits the new 3-4 defense — the kind of run-stuffer this defense has needed for years.

No. 67 overall

This is where things get interesting. If the board cooperates, the Raiders might trade back and accumulate picks. John Spytek has shown a willingness to move around the board.

A developmental offensive tackle like Jude Bowry from Boston College (23 starts, only two sacks allowed in his college career) could be a steal. Safety depth like Bud Clark from TCU is also in play — he logged 15 career interceptions and ran a 4.41 forty at the Combine.

WALK THE PLANK

Everything about this offseason has been deliberate. The coaching hires — Klint Kubiak, Mike Sullivan. The Kirk Cousins signing. The offensive line investment. And now the quarterback. Every move has pointed toward one direction, and that direction was always going to be Mendoza at No. 1.

The people who wanted drama — who hoped Spytek would pivot, or reach for someone else, or get cute — didn’t understand what this front office has been building. This wasn’t a draft where the Raiders needed to find their guy. They knew who their guy was. They just made it official.

Now the real evaluation starts. Tonight, we find out what kind of team Spytek thinks surrounds him.