16 Prospects Attend NFL Draft, Mendoza Skips

0:00On April 10th, 16 prospects are set to attend the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in person on Thursday, April 23rd in Pittsburgh. Ohio State leaves the pack with five buckeye showing up while Miami and Alabama each send two. There's just one quarterback on the list. Alabama's Thai Simpson, making him the lone signal caller in the green room. Big 10 schools dominate with six players total, edging out the SEC's five. Notably absent is Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, the Highsman winner who's projected as the number one overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders under new. Coach Clint Kubiak, another top name skipping it is Utah's Spencer Fano ranked as the eighth best prospect. Fans and analysts are buzzing about Mendoza's no show, which could mark the first time since 2022 that the top pick stays home. Attendance has been trending down lately, with prospects opting for family watch parties over the stage walk up. This year's 16 is one less than last year's in Green Bay, but beats the 13 who win in Detroit in 2024.

1:05Back in the early days of the 3-day format, averages hovered around 24, but it's settled at 16 since the virtual draft in 2020. The draft kicks off Thursday night, runs through Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, so keep an eye on who gets called and who shakes hands with the commissioner first. That's your update from NFL News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.