Success in the Draft is a must for NFL franchises. Teams can construct NFL odds favourites through free agency and trades, but with the size of NFL rosters, teams need to make good draft picks to have sufficient talent to compete.
Draft strategies will vary between front offices. There are trends in draft patterns, too, depending on how certain positions or skillsets are being valued at a given time. Whatever the era, though, NFL front offices can make or break the future of their franchise in a draft.
Big draft misses are never forgotten. Genius picks can uplift a downtrodden franchise, and some draft-night trades have gone done in the annals of NFL history. Let’s learn a bit more about the NFL Draft…
How does the NFL Draft work?
Put simply, the NFL Draft sees all 32 teams select from the best college prospects. There are seven rounds in the modern NFL Draft. Teams take turns to pick players based on their talent, college performance, team fit, and potential.
In theory, drafted players can refuse to sign with the team that selected them. This is very, very rare, however, as being drafted means a contract with an NFL franchise. Players in the early rounds receive significant amounts of guaranteed money before they have even played an NFL game.
Once teams have made their draft picks, the selected players become part of the team’s roster. Top picks will automatically go onto their main roster, while others will be battling for a place throughout training camp and preseason. Some will be left in the training camp squad.
Undrafted players can sign free agent contracts with NFL franchises or sign to other leagues, like the CFL. Kurt Warner, Donnie Shell, and Warren Moon are three of the best undrafted players in NFL history.
How is the NFL Draft order decided?
The NFL Draft order is decided using the previous season’s standings. The team with the worst record picks first, followed by the team with the second-worst record, and so on. The order is determined on the record of the original owner of the pick, and not the team now in possession of the pick.
If teams are tied on regular season record, the conference record and divisional records will be used as tiebreakers for the purpose of the draft order. If those two are also equal, a head-to-head matchup in the previous season can be the deciding factor.
Teams that make the playoffs will be ordered based on when they are eliminated. For example, the teams knocked out in the wild-card round will have the highest draft picks of any postseason teams.
They will then be ordered on their regular season records. The Super Bowl winner has the last pick in the first round.
Teams can forfeit draft picks for a variety of reasons, including salary cap violations, tampering, illegal use of injured reserve, and violating offseason workout policies. The Draft order will also move considerably due to trades, with picks being sent in deals several years in advance.
When does the NFL Draft take place?
Since 1984, the NFL Draft has taken place in April in all but one year. The Draft is usually scheduled for the end of the month, and sometimes runs into May. It will usually start on a Thursday and run for three days.
The Draft slots into the NFL calendar several weeks after free agency. This gives teams time to address various roster needs on the open market, so they know what their roster looks like when they head into Draft day.
Trades in the lead up to the Draft are common. While some will happen over Draft weekend itself, there will often be deals between the Super Bowl and the Draft. Others will look to move up or down in the Draft depending on moves they were able to make in free agency.
Who is eligible for the NFL Draft?
To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must have been out of high school for a minimum of three years and they must have used their college eligibility before the start of the following college season.
Players are only eligible for the draft in the year after their final season of college eligibility. Certain underclassmen and players who have graduated before exhausting their college eligibility can apply to enter the NFL Draft early, but this is treated on a case-by-case basis by the league.
Does every player in the NFL Draft get drafted?
In a word, no. There are around 16,000 players eligible for the NFL Draft in a given year, and under 300 of them will be selected in the Draft. Of the players not selected, some will sign as undrafted free agents, and others will pen training camp contracts.
While some undrafted players have had very successful NFL careers, players in the mix for NFL Player of the Year are often high draft selections.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
