Expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza reportedly not attending NFL draft

Callie Fin, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Apr 7, 2026

Published in Football

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LAS VEGAS — If the Las Vegas Raiders select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick of the NFL draft as expected, the nation will have to watch the Indiana quarterback’s reaction remotely.

Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to its first national championship title this past season, will not attend the draft in Pittsburgh on April 23, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

He’ll be the first No. 1 pick to skip the event since 2022, when Travon Walker was informed of his selection by the Jaguars from Atlanta with friends and family while the draft was held in Las Vegas.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also opted not to attend the draft when he was the No. 1 pick in 2021.

Staying in his hometown of Miami for the draft will allow him to enjoy the moment with his mother, Elsa Mendoza, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. She uses a wheelchair because of the disease, which damages the central nervous system and would likely make it difficult to travel.