The draft system exists in numerous American sports and is something that hasn’t really been adopted in many other sports outside of the United States. Drafting players allows teams to compete for the next generations of talent and players coming out of college sports. In the NFL Draft, there’s a huge amount of strategy that goes into it. Teams have to think about a load of aspects of their roster and also evaluate what others are going to do.
The Poker Game of Drafting
Many people have compared drafting to a game of poker over the years, partially because of the fact that the teams take turns with the selection (like the betting in poker) and also because of the fact everybody is trying to second-guess each other. The idea of having a good “poker face” can be very helpful when it comes to drafting and making sure that others don’t know the next move.
When people play Texas Holdem they are trying to read the others for information on what they might do (and how strong their hand is) and while in the draft the selectors might know who has the next pick, they don’t know what their next move is going to be. Are they going to be safe with a selection or make a bold call, a bit like raising the poker stakes?
Similarly, like poker, teams need to prepare for something that changes the game entirely, like a controversial pick or their top choice being taken by another team. In poker, players are similarly preparing and adapting to what cards are drawn.
In both poker and drafting, it is a case of trying to get into the strongest possible position but moving in a way that opponents and competitors can’t read. Over the last 25 years, there are some examples of times when the recruitment teams and management of teams absolutely nailed it. In 1996, the Baltimore Ravens made an incredible set of additions including Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, DeRon Jenkins, and wide receiver Jermaine Lewis. Ogden and Lewis went on to become Hall of Famers.
How Drafting Works
The NFL Draft takes place over three days in April, usually held in a major city across the US, it provides a huge spectacle for fans and media alike.
The event consists of rounds and each team is given one pick per round. However, it can get a bit more complex as teams are able to trade some of their draft picks. The order in which teams pick is primarily based on their performance in the previous season as this is a way to try to provide a more level playing field, it is one of the reasons that the NFL doesn’t tend to have huge monopolies like other sports leagues. The team with the worst record gets the first pick, while the Super Bowl champion picks last. This order helps weaker teams strengthen their rosters by adding top college talent – historically, there have been up to 30 rounds in the NFL draft.
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Before the draft, a thorough process of scouting and evaluation is the name of the game as teams analyze college players’ performances through game footage and the NFL Scouting Combine. The Combine is a week-long event where top prospects are invited to showcase their physical and mental abilities. Players strive to showcase what they have during The Combine. These evaluations are crucial as they help teams make informed decisions about which players fit their needs best. During this time, people love to speculate on the next draft and which team is going to take which player with their draft pick. Next year, Miami QB Cameron Ward is recommended as one of the top picks and has a chance to go first according to some.
Draft Day itself is a highly anticipated event. The first round is held on the opening night, with each team allotted ten minutes to make their selection. As the draft progresses into the second and third days, the time for each pick decreases.
To make things more complex, in this period, teams can trade picks with one another, adding a strategic element to the draft. For instance, a team might trade a higher pick for multiple lower picks if they believe they can find value later in the draft.
Teams Need to Hold Their Nerve
Another comparison with games like poker or those where strategy is involved, a lot can come down to keeping their cool. Teams may have their eye on a player and think that they need to take them in the earlier draft, when in fact they would have still been available at the 5th or 6th pick, which means that they may waste an earlier pick when they could’ve grabbed a top talent. The draft system creates these interesting scenarios, and this is why so many people watch with interest.
