Watch it: Behind the scenes on draft day with Commanders' Sonny Styles

The NFL draft is always a spectacle. It doesn't matter where it's held. From 1965 to 2014, the draft was held in New York City, but in 2015, the NFL began rotating the location each year. In 2026, the draft was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it set a new attendance record of 805,000 visitors over three days, surpassing Detroit's previous record of 775,000.

The spectacle of the draft isn't for everyone. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, yet he chose to stay at home and celebrate the night with as many of the people he cared about as he could. Other players, like Washington Commanders rookie Sonny Styles, chose to soak up the limelight. Styles and Bleacher Report took fans behind the scenes on draft day, starting hours ahead of the draft and culminating with "the call" that came at No. 7.

Styles starts the recording in his own hotel room, and cameras follow him as he moves to another suite where he, his family, and his team are app preparing for the day ahead. They tightened up their hair, applied makeup, Styles explained the photos he had sewn into his suit jacket, and his stylist set up the entire crew for success before they hit the red carpet.

At the actual draft, Styles and other players, including Ohio State teammates Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and Kayden McDonald, as well as Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and others, all conversed in the green room. They joked, they laughed, Styles poked fun at Matt Patricia's tennis shoes with a suit look, and each player wore their nerves differently.

Styles prefers to joke and laugh, while Caleb Downs doesn't say much, and Carnell Tate just looks nervous. As the draft begins, the players move to their respective areas of the green room to await their calls. Styles watches as Mendoza is first off the board, and then David Bailey. Third was Jeremiyah Love in somewhat of a surprise move by the Arizona Cardinals, and fourth was Carnell Tate, the first Buckeye off the board.

At five, Arvell Reese is selected by the Giants, then the Kansas City Chiefs trade up to select Mansoor Delane. Never mind that earlier in the day, Styles predicted he would get selected by the Commanders; his face showed the increasing anxiety about when his phone would ring. At seven, just when he predicted, his phone rang. He showed it to a member of his team, who told him to answer it.