It’s all but certain which player will hear his name called first in the 2026 NFL Draft.
He won’t be in Pittsburgh to hear it, though.
Indiana quarterback and No. 1 overall pick favorite Fernando Mendoza will not be attending the NFL draft in person, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mendoza instead will be with his family in Miami during Round 1.
Mendoza is the overwhelming favorite to be the first player chosen when the Las Vegas Raiders kick off the NFL draft with the first selection on April 23. New Raiders coach Klint Kubiak spoke highly of Mendoza during the NFL’s annual league meetings.
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“He’s a national champion, he’s a winner, he’s tall, intelligent,” Kubiak said.
This year marks just the second time in franchise history that the Raiders have held the top pick in the NFL Draft. The last time they had it came in 2007 when the team drafted quarterback JaMarcus Russell out of LSU.
Mendoza won’t be the only new face in the Raiders’ quarterback room in 2026. Las Vegas brought in veteran Kirk Cousins after the four-time Pro Bowler was released by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason.
The 37-year-old Cousins is familiar with Kubiak after spending three years together in Minnesota (2019-2021). Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach for two of those years (2019 and 2020) and the offensive coordinator for the other one (2021).
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Mendoza is considered a pro-ready passer but could take his time behind Cousins as needed.
When was the last time a No. 1 pick did not attend the NFL draft?
The last No. 1 overall pick to not attend the NFL draft was Travon Walker in 2022. He was at home with friends and family in Thomaston, Georgia when the Jacksonville Jaguars made him the first player off the board.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence – also selected by the Jaguars – was the most recent No. 1 overall quarterback not to attend the NFL Draft.
When is the NFL draft?
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Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
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Time:
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Round 1: 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23
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Rounds 2-3: 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24
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Rounds 4-7: Noon ET on Saturday, April 25
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TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
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Streaming: ESPN+, fubo, NFL+
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Fernando Mendoza attending the NFL Draft?
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