It has turned into a fashion show with blinged-out shoes and colorful suits taking center stage, but one of the highlights of the NFL draft is seeing the raw emotion players show when they get their draft call and walk the stage to shake the hand of Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The NFL on Thursday released the names of 22 prospects who have accepted invitations to attend the NFL Draft, April 27-29 in Philadelphia. Among the group is Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and the three most highly regarded offensive tackles in the draft, Utah’s Garett Bolles, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk and Alabama’s Cam Robinson.
The most notable takeway from the list is those who will not attend, including former Stanford running back of Denver, and the possible first overall pick, Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett, as well as the draft’s top receiver, Clemson’s Mike Williams. Some prospects would rather avoid the spotlight. Some fear negative publicity if they drop further than projected on draft day. Some prefer to spend their special day with their family at home.
Awuzie is one of six cornerbacks who will attend the draft, a nod to the depth at the position. Three quarterbacks — Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer — are also scheduled to attend.
There are also 13 NCAA head coaches scheduled to attend the draft, including Alabama’s Nick Saban, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Stanford’s David Shaw, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly.
Players attending NFL draft
| Player | Pos. | College |
| Jamal Adams | S | Louisiana State |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | Alabama |
| Chidobe Awuzie | CB | Colorado |
| Derek Barnett | DE | Tennessee |
| Garett Bolles | T | Utah |
| Gareon Conley | CB | Ohio State |
| Corey Davis | WR | Western Michigan |
| Leonard Fournette | RB | Louisiana State |
| Adoree’ Jackson | CB | Southern California |
| Kevin King | CB | Washington |
| DeShone Kizer | QB | Notre Dame |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | Ohio State |
| Malik McDowell | DT | Michigan State |
| Takkarist McKinley | LB | UCLA |
| Ryan Ramczyk | T | Wisconsin |
| Haason Reddick | LB | Temple |
| Cam Robinson | T | Alabama |
| John Ross | WR | Washington |
| Solomon Thomas | DE | Stanford |
| Mitchell Trubisky | QB | North Carolina |
| Deshaun Watson | QB | Clemson |
| Tre’Davious White | CB | Louisiana State |
Coaches confirmed to attend NFL draft
| Coach | College |
| Larry Fedora | North Carolina |
| P.J. Fleck | Minnesota |
| Butch Jones | Tennessee |
| Brian Kelly | Notre Dame |
| Urban Meyer | Ohio State |
| Jim Mora | UCLA |
| Ed Orgeron | Louisiana State |
| Chris Petersen | Washington |
| Matt Rhule | Baylor |
| Nick Saban | Alabama |
| David Shaw | Stanford |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah |
