With the NFL Draft less than three weeks away, the hype train for the event is picking up some steam, beyond the endless rumors of picks and trades. On Tuesday night the NFL announced the prospects who will be attending the festivities later this month at the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago.
Here are the players who will be attending the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago
Twenty-five prospects have accepted invitations to the draft festivities in Chicago.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Twenty-five players have accepted their invitations to the big event, including both of the top quarterbacks in the 2016 class: Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. Ohio State tied the 2002 record set by Alabama with five players heading to the draft along with their coach, Urban Meyer.
The list typically includes the players most likely to be chosen in the first round, though some of the elite guys inevitably are absent as they choose to celebrate the occasion with their families or simply prefer to remain out of the spotlight.
Then there's also the fear they'll be caught in one of those awkward moments when a highly rated prospect gets passed over by several teams and is forced to wait longer than expected to hear his name called. Aaron Rodgers, Brady Quinn and Johnny Manziel are just a few of the players who got stuck in the green room as the first round rolled on and cameras tracked their roller coaster of emotions.
Last year, notably both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the top two picks, declined invitations from the league and watched the big night surrounded by their loved ones. It was the first time since 1994 that the No. 1 pick was not there in person at the draft. Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil is widely considered to be the first player off the board at this year's draft and is attending.
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott -- the No. 8 pick in Mocking The Draft's latest mock -- tipped off fans to his goal on draft night: to take a selfie with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
This year’s draft is stacked with talent and there is still a ton of intrigue about how the top picks will unfold, which should make for an exciting and entertaining first round on Thursday night regardless of who is actually in the building.
Here’s the full list of attendees for the 2016 NFL Draft, which will take place April 28-May 1:
| Player | Position | School |
| Eli Apple | CB | Ohio State |
| Joey Bosa | DE | Ohio State |
| Vernon Butler | DT | Louisiana Tech |
| Corey Coleman | WR | Baylor |
| Jack Conklin | OT | Michigan State |
| Taylor Decker | OT | Ohio State |
| Josh Doctson | WR | Texas Christian |
| Kevin Dodd | DE | Clemson |
| Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Ohio State |
| Jared Goff | QB | California |
| Vernon Hargreaves | CB | Florida |
| Myles Jack | LB | UCLA |
| Chris Jones | DT | Mississippi State |
| Shaq Lawson | DE | Clemson |
| Darron Lee | LB | Ohio State |
| Keanu Neal | S | Florida |
| Robert Nkemdiche | DT | Mississippi |
| Reggie Ragland | LB | Alabama |
| Jalen Ramsey | CB | Florida State |
| Jarran Reed | DT | Alabama |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | Alabama |
| Ronnie Stanley | OT | Notre Dame |
| Laquon Treadwell | WR | Mississippi |
| Laremy Tunsil | OT | Mississippi |
| Carson Wentz | QB | North Dakota State |
In addition to the players, there will be a lot of college head coaches in attendance, including:
| Coach | School |
| Art Briles | Baylor |
| Mark Dantonio | Michigan State |
| Sonny Dykes | California |
| Jimbo Fisher | Florida State |
| Hugh Freeze | Mississippi |
| Brian Kelly | Notre Dame |
| Chris Klieman | North Dakota State |
| Urban Meyer | Ohio State |
| Jim Mora | UCLA |
| Gary Patterson | Texas Christian |
| Nick Saban | Alabama |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson |
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