The 2026 NFL Draft is fast approaching and le s than a week. All eyes will be on Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the draft proceedings take place and Commi sioner Roger Goodell calls out the first round on Thursday, April 23. Fans watching at home are used to seeing Goodell announce a name and a player in the green room, who then celebrate with their friends and family in attendance before making their way on stage, giving Goodell a big bear hug, and then posing for photo opportunities. In the past, most players expected to be drafted in the first round attended the draft in person. The NFL requires players who wish to attend to RSVP so the organizers can ensure there is room for the player and their families. The NFL released the 2026 NFL Draft attendee list, and only 16 players will attend. Here is more on who will be in attendance at the 2026 NFL Draft. MORE : 2026 NFL Draft attendees Here is who will be attending the 2026 NFL Draft in person. Player Position School David Bailey LB Texas Tech Rueben Bain Jr. DE Miami Tug Mcgraw Jersey Mansoor Delane DB LSU Caleb Downs DB Ohio State Keldric Faulk DE Auburn Colton Hood DB Tenne see Makai Lemon WR USC Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame Francis Mauigoa OL Miami Kayden McDonald DT Ohio State Kadyn Proctor OT Alabama Arvell Reese LB Ohio State Ty Simpson QB Alabama Sonny Styles LB Ohio state Carnell Tate WR Ohio State Jordyn Tyson WR Arizona State IYER : Why are only 16 players attending the draft? Before 2020, the majority of players who had a chance of being selected in the first round chose to attend in person. It was common for over 20 players to be in person with their families. There were the select few who opted to watch the draft from home, and there was a video feed of their celebration after their name was called. The 2020 Draft was forced to be virtual because of COVID-19, and every player had to be at home. In 2021, the NFL opted for a hybrid draft, and only 13 players were allowed to attend in person. Since then, there has been a growing trend of players choosing not to attend the draft in person and instead watching it at home or in their hometown with their friends and family. The 2026 NFL Draft will begin with the on the clock. They are expected to select Fernando Mendoza, a quarterback from Indiana, but he has already indicated he will be watching the draft from Miami with his loved ones. If all 16 players attending the 2026 NFL Draft are selected in the first round, exactly half of the round will be attending live, with the other half being remote. It is not easy to find statistics on draft attendance, but in recent memory, this feels like one of the lowest draft turnouts outside of the COVID-19 years. Dj Stewart Jersey
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