What Is the ‘NFL Draft’ in Sports?
The “NFL Draft” is the annual event where the 32 NFL teams select new college football players to join the league.
Think of it as the league’s primary “hiring fair.” It’s a massive, three-day televised event that essentially kicks off the new NFL season every spring.
How It Works
The NFL Draft is much more straightforward than the NBA Draft because it uses a strict system based on the previous season’s performance:
- Draft Order: The team with the worst record from the previous season gets the first pick in every round. The draft order proceeds based on inverse standing (worst to best), with the Super Bowl winner picking last. There is no lottery to shuffle the picks.
- Seven Rounds: The NFL Draft is long! It consists of seven rounds, with 32 picks in each round. This means over 250 college players get drafted every year.
- The Goal: It’s the best way for struggling teams to quickly improve by adding highly touted college players who they hope will become the next star quarterback or defensive player.