There's No Excitement Around the 2026 NFL Draft - Here's Why

The 2026 NFL Draft is one week away, live from the home of the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and the hype surrounding the event is…lukewarm, at best?

What is always one of the biggest nights on the NFL calendar this year has failed to make the headlines as it usually does, counting down to the big day.

But why?

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Well, maybe the most obvious reason is that much of the excitement around the NFL Draft starts at the top.

The question of who is going No. 1 is often a debate starter for pundits and fans alike, but there’s no such conversation starter this time around.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is going No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders, and it’s gotten so bad that players on the roster have already begun spoiling that they’re taking the Heisman Award winner and College Football Playoff national champion first.

Yet, that’s not the only reason why there is less excitement around this draft in particular.

Mendoza is not only going to be the first QB taken next Thursday, but he might be the only signal-caller taken the entire first round. Alabama’s Ty Simpson could find his way into the other 31 picks on the night, but it isn’t for certain.

This is seen as a shallow class of possible franchise QBs, and that’s always going to bring down the interest heading into the selections. While 2025 also wasn’t the most decorated QB class, there was the intrigue of Shedeur Sanders, who fell from possibly being a top-five pick to not being taken until the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

No player in the field is a lightning rod like Sanders, who has a legion of fans and detractors endlessly debating their talent every time they move a muscle.

On top of it all, we now have reports that teams are looking to trade down from within the top 10, possibly already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, where there could be a slew of blue-chip quarterback prospects.

When even the teams that have been tirelessly scouting, interviewing, and grading prospects are side-eyeing next year’s crop of talent, how is the average fan supposed to be interested?

As usual, come draft night, trades and twists will spice up the action and bring the drama to the forefront, but for now, it’s quiet before the storm.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 5:16 PM.