For the first time since 2021, the presumed #1 overall draft pick will not be in attendance for the NFL draft.
Fernando Mendoza, the former Indiana Hoosier and overwhelming favorite to be the pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, who hold the first selection in this year’s draft, will not be in Pittsburgh when his name is called.
Mendoza told the NFL that he plans to remain with family and friends in Miami instead of making the trip to the Steel City.
The national champion’s decision to decline the invite makes him the first projected #1 overall pick to miss the draft since Trevor Lawrence decided to shun the league’s biggest offseason event in 2021.
The move also means that Mendoza will miss his chance to be hugged by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. A fate that will surely cause Mendoza some degree of regret.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set to take place on April 23.