The 2026 NFL Draft will be missing its projected top pick, and though it won’t be the first time that’s happened, Fernando Mendoza joins a short list.
From Fernando Mendoza to Trevor Lawrence: These are other No. 1 picks who didn’t attend the NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23 with the first round, but the expected No. 1 overall pick will not be on the stage. Fernando Mendoza, out of Indiana, is reportedly choosing not to attend the event, instead planning to experience the moment with family in Miami.
Projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has informed the NFL that he is not planning to attend the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh this month, per sources. Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami. pic.twitter.com/ApUc7UmIDX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 7, 2026
It’s a surprising decision for an expected top pick, but it’s not so unusual.
Fernando Mendoza joins short list of No. 1 picks who skipped the NFL Draft
In recent years, a handful of top overall selections have opted out of attending the NFL Draft in person:
- 2026 (projected): Fernando Mendoza
- 2022: Travon Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- 2021: Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- 2018: Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns)
- 2017: Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns)
That’s a relatively short list, especially compared to how many top picks do attend, but it highlights a shift in recent years. For most of the NFL Draft’s modern era, attending in person was almost a given for top prospects.
The league builds its broadcast around those players walking across the stage, meeting the commissioner, and holding up their new jersey. For No. 1 picks in particular, the moment is symbolic, not just for the player, but for the franchise selecting them. That’s why historically, very few skipped it.
From skipping combine drills to customizing Pro Days, today’s prospects are increasingly controlling their pre-draft process, and where they watch the draft is just an extension of that.
Like Trevor Lawrence, Mendoza enters the draft with strong expectations of going first overall, meaning the drama of draft night may not outweigh the comfort of a private setting. It also mirrors the overall shift in how elite prospects approach the spotlight, which is becoming less about spectacle and more about personal meaning.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The draft begins with Round 1 on Thursday, April 23, with the Las Vegas Raiders choosing first, followed by the rest of the league in reverse order of the 2025 standings.
Coverage starts in the afternoon on major networks including ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network, and we’ll also be providing live text coverage of the event right here on AS USA.
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