Fernando Mendoza shared the moment of being selected first overall in the NFL Draft with his family from home on Thursday night.

He was seen hugging his family, including his mother Elsa Mendoza, in a moment of celebration.

Despite being projected to be the first overall pick, Mendoza skipped the in-person draft in Pittsburgh to stay in Florida with his mother, who battles multiple sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair.

Mendoza told reporters after he was drafted that he decided not to go to Pittsburgh to make it easier for his mother to travel to Las Vegas tomorrow when he visits his team. 

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When Mendoza was only about 4 years old, his mother was diagnosed with the disease. It is a chronic, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that can affect the brain and spinal cord. She has spent the last few years in a wheelchair.

Elsa Mendoza wrote about the experience in a 2015 letter to her sons that was published in The Players Tribune.

“I was diagnosed about 18 years ago, but of course you never knew that. You and Alberto were so young, and I was doing fine… and mostly I didn’t want you to worry. It just felt like this impossible thing to place on you guys. On my sweet boys. And then I kept doing fine until about 10 years ago, when we went skiing and I broke my ankle and knee,” she wrote.

“But even after that, I wasn’t quite ready to tell you — only that my leg hadn’t healed all the way, which is why your mom had her limp. It wasn’t until five years ago, when I got Covid, that things started to go downhill in a way where there was no more hiding it. It was during football season, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to travel. And the thought of you wondering if I supported you any less, because suddenly I wasn’t at your games? I hated that. So that’s when I knew we had to sit you and your brother down.”

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She went on to recall, “how hard of a conversation it ended up being. ‘Your mom has this degenerative disease… and while we don’t know how it will progress, it’s going to start to affect us in a few ways. But it won’t affect us in the ways that matter. We’ll have each other, and love each other, and be there for each other. I promise.'”

Both of Mednzoa’s parents grew up in Miami, Florida, as the children of Cuban refugees who fled communism after Fidel Castro rose to power in the country.

Mendoza’s father, Fernando Mendoza Sr., was a rower at Brown University and a 1987 Junior World Championships gold medalist.

But Mendoza’s father also played football when he was younger, and was teammates with Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal at Christopher Columbus High School during the 1980s. Mendoza would go on to defeat his father’s former teammate in this year’s CFP national championship game.

Meanwhile, his mother played tennis at the University of Miami.

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The New York Giants were armed with two picks in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the new regime led by head coach John Harbaugh showed its focus on the trenches on both sides of the ball.

With the fifth overall pick, the Giants saw Ohio State star edge rusher Arvell Reese fall to them and they pulled the trigger, taking their third edge rusher in the first round since 2022.

Then, with the No. 10 overall pick, the Giants had the opportunity to take another Buckeyes defensive star, as safety Caleb Downs fell down the draft board. But it’s clear the Giants are protecting their future, quarterback Jaxson Dart, as they went offensive line with their next pick.

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Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa was called out of the NFL Draft green room in Pittsburgh as the No. 10 overall pick. While he played tackle with the Hurricanes, Mauigoa is expected to move to the offensive interior line.

The Giants re-signed Jermaine Eluemunor, who shined as the team’s right tackle in 2025, during free agency. He’s expected to remain in that role, but the Giants have question marks at guard, and there’s a belief Mauigoa can move inside.

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In some mock drafts entering Thursday, Reese was projected to go second overall to the New York Jets. But the Jets went with David Bailey out of Texas Tech instead.

From there, the Arizona Cardinals went with Jeremiyah Love, making him the highest-picked running back since the Giants took Saquon Barkley in 2018. The Tennessee Titans went with wide receiver Carnell Tate, the first Buckeyes player off the board, and Reese fell into their laps.

Giants receiver Malik Nabers, making an appearance on a draft show alongside Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, questioned where Reese would play considering Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, the team’s No. 3 overall pick a year ago, play edge rusher.

But Harbaugh hinted at the plan to make Reese an inside linebacker – an area of need on the Giants’ defense. If that is the plan, Reese’s athleticism, which has been on display throughout his Ohio State career, will be tested at the NFL level.

As for Mauigoa, the 6-foot-5, 329-pound tackle was viewed as one of the top offensive line prospects in this draft throughout the process.

Mauigoa was a first-team All-American selection this past year for a Miami squad that reached the national championship game. He started all 16 games at right tackle for the Hurricanes.

There was, however, an injury question surrounding Mauigoa, as he has dealt with a back issue that may require surgery at some point in his pro career. Teams have their due diligence in these matters, and the Giants don’t seem to be concerned to spend the pick on him.

This was the 10th overall pick the Giants acquired after trading All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals last week, fulfilling his trade request amid a contract dispute.

Mauigoa already put himself in Giants fans’ good graces, saying during his draft interview, “I’ll die for you, Jaxson Dart.” That’s the type of energy Harbaugh, Dart and the rest of the Giants are looking for at an essential position on the football field.

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The Arizona Cardinals went with a true playmaker on offense, selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Many believed heading into the first round Thursday night that Arizona was a perfect trade-down candidate because teams might have paid a premium to land either Love or someone else they coveted.

It looked that way as the clock ticked closer to zero, but the Cardinals ended up putting their pick in, landing the consensus top running back in this 2026 class.

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Love became the highest drafted running back since the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley second overall out of Penn State in 2018. And he joins a Cardinals offense that will be revamped under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

It’s a West Coast-style offense for LaFleur, and he gets a speedy Love, who ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. The tape also speaks for itself, with Love showcasing explosive physical traits as well as strength in the trenches.

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Love also joins a veteran in James Conner, and Tyler Allgeier signed with the Cardinals this offseason. But Love has the talent to set himself apart from the rest, with many believing he was the best overall player in this draft.

Love ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season for the Fighting Irish, while surpassing 100 yards in six of his 14 showings. He even rushed for a whopping 228 yards against the USC Trojans.

Given the Cardinals didn’t have a single 100-yard rusher this past season, they’re going with someone who can provide juice to the new-look offense.

It’s also a new look with Kyler Murray out after he went to the Minnesota Vikings after his release from Arizona.

The Cardinals, at least for now, are heading into the 2026 season with Jacoby Brissett, the veteran journeyman who took over for the injured Murray last year, as their starting quarterback.

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