The NFL Draft is one of the most important parts about the NFL itself, and it’s also where dreams come true for these players.
This year’s NFL Draft is full of great prospects that have blown people away, with one of them being the Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Another great player who is bound to be picked in the early first round is Ashton Jeanty, a running back from Boise State who came in second during the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, and also was 28 yards away from Barry Sanders’ college rushing record in a single season.
This year, the NFL Draft will take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The date is April 24th through the 26th.
To explain the NFL Draft for people who are unfamiliar with anything football related it is where mainly college football athletes are selected in seven rounds, where the 32 teams from the NFL select players. The way the teams select players depends on how successful they were last season. For example, the Tennessee Titans got 3 wins and 14 losses, making them the worst team by record in the NFL, making them the first pick in the first round of the draft. Most of the top prospects usually go by the 1st or 2nd round.
The thing with the Draft is you don’t know who or what team is going to get. During the draft, trades will happen, causing teams to swap positions in draft order or getting numerous later round picks for a first round pick. The most famous player to come out of a draft day trade is Jerry Rice, when the 49ers gave up a second round pick to move up 12 spots in the first round and nine spots in the third round. This trade resulted in the 49ers receiving a legend who led them to multiple Super Bowls.
Another thing that comes with the NFL Draft is the prior mock drafts. Mock drafts help entertain, but they also provide a prediction. As of right now, March 12th, CBS Sports released their most updated mock draft.
For the 1st pick CBS has predicted the Tennessee Titans to select Abdul Carter, the 2024 Big Ten Defensive player of the year. For the 6th pick, it’s predicted the Raiders will make a move to get running back Ashton Jeanty after they got rid of star running back Josh Jacobs. For your Indianapolis Colts, they have the 14th pick in the draft, CBS Sports has predicted they will go for offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. This comes as Colts center Will Fry became a free agent and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Banks is an excellent line man coming from Texas, winning both the 2024 Lombardi and Outland trophy.
The NFL Draft is a tradition that has lasted nearly 90 years now, with many spectacular moments and players that have come from it. You will be able to watch the NFL Draft on ESPN, NFL Network, and ABC on April 24th for the first round, and April 25th & 26th for rounds 2-7.
