Every year, thousands of college athletes sit in their living rooms, waiting to hear their phone ring on draft day. This month, we had two major leagues draft their players, the National Football League (NFL) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Both of these nights consisted of upsets, major developmental picks, and storylines that will determine the future of teams for years to come.
The main focus of the 2026 NFL draft was the first pick from Indiana University, QB Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza is notable for leading the Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff tournament victory in program history. He was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that has not seen much success in recent years. Having not made the playoffs since 2021, the team may be looking to revamp for the future. The Raiders did not have a consistent quarterback during the 2025 season, and just recently signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in early April. Mendoza has changed the game when it comes to social media, being known for his love of business lingo and his viral LinkedIn posts. On draft night, he set a record for being the most bought jersey across all sports.
The first pick in the WNBA draft was shooting guard Azzi Fudd from UConn to the Dallas Wings. Fudd was eligible for the draft last season, but decided to play her senior year at UConn. In that season, she made the All-Big East Team and the first team All-American, and put up a career high 17.3 points per game. Before the 2026 season, the WNBA agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, and within it set new guidelines for draft signing bonuses. Fudd acquired $500,000, which was $421,169 more than last year’s first pick and now teammate, Paige Bueckers. The Wings were the worst team in the WNBA last year, going 10-34, winning just 27.7% of games. They are definitely looking to rebuild, and having a great player at such a vital position will definitely help them rebound from such a season. However, one player alone cannot turn the tide for a program, so it will be important to see how management decides to build the roster around Fudd.
With so many new athletes joining major leagues, it will be important to keep an
eye on their development, as the development of athletes improves rapidly, because many of these teams may have just selected the future face of their program.
