Predicting who will be the last player sitting in the green room for the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is a massive production that makes the Oscars look like children's theater. The red carpet alone is a massive opportunity for prospects attending in person to kick their branding game up to the next level.

As of April 10, there are 16 prospects confirmed to be physically present in the NFL's green room waiting with close family to hear their names called and walk on stage to accept a jersey and hug from commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Which prospects are attending the 2026 NFL Draft?

Here's who will be attending in Pittsburgh:

Most notably, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza — the unanimously projected first overall pick — will not be present. He chose, instead, to cherish his moment at home with his family and friends.

Mendoza won't have to wait very long once the event kicks off at 8pm ET on April 24. However, other prospects could be sitting with baited breath for hours to be picked by a franchise. That could be an embarrassing and heartbreaking experience for a young man.

Last year, QB Shedeur Sanders literally waited days to be selected and was the last one in the green room on opening night. The players above will be praying they're not the next to plummet that far down the draft board.

Predicting the last player to leave the NFL Draft green room

Each player confirmed to attend night one of the draft has been projected to be a first-round selection by nearly every major mock. It feels unlikely any of them will be left on their couch when the 32nd overall pick is announced, but someone's got to be the last one to walk out on stage.

Trades can throw a wrench in the projected draft order, meaning some prospects who are expected to be selected in the latter half of the first round could go higher up and vice versa. Based on an aggregate of major mock drafts, it appears Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Tennessee's Colton Hood are the most likely to fall into the No. 25-32 range.

McDonald is an elite defensive tackle mocked most frequently at the start of round two but gaining steam to earn a very late first-round nod. Hood, the fourth-highest rated cornerback by ESPN, rarely slips past the first night in published projections.

It's going to come down to the unpredictable swaps. If a team moves down into the final quarter of selections or one jumps back in to the first round from day two, there's going to be some unexpected picks.

I'm leaning McDonald in this exercise simply because a late-round trade feels inevitable. The likelihood a team sitting in the early second round believes a player won't make it past No. 32 and leaps for them is higher than the belief a team like the Buffalo Bills will have that McDonald will be gone by the end of the night.

In fact, teams like that would rather bet against McDonald's rising stock and cross their fingers he makes it to the first five picks or so on day two in order to lower his price tag. That wager seems like it'll pay out, but the unfortunate reality would be McDonald left in the green room, having to either return the next day or go home to hear his name called on television.

Here's to hoping he won't have to suffer that indignation but sports can be a fickle beast sometimes.