Report: Projected top pick Fernando Mendoza not attending 2026 NFL draft

Fernando Mendoza, the project top pick in the upcoming NFL draft, has reportedly informed the league he will not attend the draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza wants to share the draft experience with his family in Miami, according to Schefter’s sources.

The Las Vegas Raiders hold the first overall pick and are widely expected to take the Indiana standout. Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their first national championship in school history in his 2025 Heisman Trophy-winning season.

Mendoza is expected to meet with the Raiders and new head coach Klint Kubiak on Tuesday. Las Vegas signed 37-year-old Kirk Cousins to a one-year contract last week in the hopes the veteran quarterback can mentor the 22-year-old Mendoza.

Mendoza is not the first projected top pick to skip the draft in recent years. Travon Walker (2022), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Baker Mayfield (2018) and Myles Garrett (2017) all spent their respective draft nights with their families at alternate locations before going first overall.

The first round of this year’s draft is scheduled for April 23 in Pittsburgh.