The man of the hour will be leaving Roger Goodell high and dry.
Fernando Mendoza, a slam dunk to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders later this month, will not be in attendance to hear his name called in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.
Instead, Mendoza will opt to be with his family in Miami.
He’ll be the first No. 1 pick to skip the draft since 2021, when Trevor Lawrence chose to spend his big night with family and friends in Clemson instead of traveling to Cleveland.
The move will certainly be a blow to the excitement of the proceedings, as Mendoza going on stage for a photo opportunity with NFL commissioner Goodell is a staple for top draft picks.
This also means that Mendoza won’t be with Tom Brady or the rest of the Raiders franchise to field media questions, and won’t be pictured in a jersey on stage.
It is likely that Mendoza will have a camera set up at his party in Miami to livestream the festivities for NFL broadcasts.
Mendoza is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Indiana Hoosiers, where he also led the team to a National Championship.
The Raiders have been completely overhauling their franchise in preparation for Mendoza’s arrival in 2026.
Las Vegas signed Tyler Linderbaum to a historic contract for an offensive lineman as they look to improve behind their worst ranked unit from last season.
For a 50-year stretch, the NFL held the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, a run that ended in 2014.
