The NFL Draft System

NFL Draft is a player recruitment procedure that has taken place every year since 1936. Every spring, National Football League (NFL) teams have reason to be optimistic, especially those with poor win-loss records the previous season. The NFL Draft gives teams the chance to improve their roster by bringing in the best college players.

The NFL Draft is divided into seven rounds. Each team has a different number of picks. The teams get approximately one pick per round in the average round of 32 picks. Teams have 15 minutes to make their decision in the first round. In the second round, the decision time is reduced to 10 minutes, and in rounds three through seven, it is reduced to five minutes.

Some teams may have decided on their first-round pick well before the draft and may even agree on contract conditions with the player. A team that already has made its selection may have to rush to find a replacement if the player it wanted is picked unexpectedly by another team.

While athletes from other sports occasionally are drafted, college football players account for most of those selected. If an athlete meets certain league criteria, they are entitled to declare themselves available for the NFL draft. However, when players declare for the draft, they forfeit their remaining college football eligibility. Athletes have only seven days following the conclusion of the College National Championship game to express their interest in entering the draft. Once a declaration of interest is made, the NFL, in collaboration with schools, agents, and teams, will verify the athlete’s eligibility.

Hundreds of players will be in Madison Square Garden on draft day, waiting for their names to be called. When their names are announced, these are the players who walk up to the stage, put on the team cap, and have their photo taken carrying a team shirt.

Each team sends representatives to the NFL Draft venue to keep in touch with their leaders during the selection process. When a team makes a pick, the representatives at the draft are notified. A runner receives a card with the player’s name, position, and school.

The first-round picks wait in the green room backstage with their families, friends, and agents. Some are announced later in the round with less fanfare. Players and their agents care about their draft position since teams pay earlier picks more money.

The NFL has hosted a supplemental draft since 1977. Players typically enter the supplementary draft because they missed the NFL draft filing deadline or because circumstances arose that jeopardized their eligibility. The supplemental draft will occur after the regular draft but before the following season.

Since 1994, compensatory NFL Draft picks have been in use. NFL teams that lost free agents to other teams the previous year can use compensatory picks to make up for those losses. Up to 32 compensatory picks can be awarded each year.

A team can draft almost anyone. The Dallas Cowboys have picked two men who never played football: Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis in the 12th round in 1984 and Bob Hayes in the 7th round in 1964.

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