There’s no doubt that you’ve heard about the NFL draft, but what is it exactly? It’s a big deal every single year, but if you’re in the darks to what it is and why it’s so important, then start reading – we’re going to go in depth and explain it for you.
Understanding the NFL Draft
This is also known as the Player Selection Meeting, and it’s an annual event where the National Football League is permitted to select from a pool of college football players. The event is the most common method of recruitment for NFL teams, but teams are not permitted to simply rush out and add anyone they want. There is actually an order to it!
The draft is designed so that each team is assigned a position in which it can participate. The order is chosen according to the team’s performance the previous year, so, the team that performed the worst will be allowed to choose first, and it ends with the super bowl winners. The team will be allowed to choose a new player, or they can trade their position to another team to gain another draft position. Around is considered complete once a team has selected a new player or traded the position. For the moment, the draft contains seven rounds, but it is subject to change, as it has many times before.
How are Players Chosen?
In the past, players were actually chosen for the draft based on hearsay. For example, if they’d ‘heard’ something about a player, either from a reputable source or from print media, they would bring said player on. After 1940, however, the NFL would start to employ full-time scouts who would visit college games, evaluate players, and approach them with offers if they determined them to be worthy.
When Does the Draft Take Place?
The draft has always taken place in the same year, for example, the 2010 NFL Draft was for the 2010 season, so a player could conceivably begin playing in that same year.
Where Does the Draft Take Place?
This is a tricky question, actually, as the location of the draft changes every single year. You see, the NFL draft has become so popular over the years, that it’s actually become a prime-time television event. In the beginning, it moved around quite a bit, but the league, in 1965, determined that New York City would be the ideal location, and it stayed there until 2015. In 2016, it moved to Chicago, and the 2017 Draft took place in Philadelphia.
So, to sum it all up, the draft allows the NFL to choose their newest players either from college players or through trades. It can all seem very complex, but when it comes right down to it, it’s all about recruitment.
TAGS: NFL, NFL DRAFT, PLAYERS RECRUITMENT
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