NFL draft facts for kids

The current logo for the NFL draft

The National Football League draft, also known as the NFL draft, is a yearly event where NFL teams choose new players. It's the main way teams get new talent. Teams pick players in a special order based on how well they did the year before. The team with the worst record picks first, and the Super Bowl champion picks last.

When it's a team's turn, they can either pick a player or trade their turn to another team. They might trade for other draft picks, players, or a mix of both. A round finishes when every team has either picked a player or traded their spot. The first draft happened in 1936, and it has happened every year since then.

Over time, some rules have changed, like the number of rounds. But the main idea has stayed the same. Today, the draft has seven rounds. The draft was created to help all teams have a fair chance at winning. The idea was that the weaker teams could pick the best new players. In the early days, teams picked players based on rumors or newspaper stories. Later, teams started hiring full-time scouts to find talent.

The draft's name each year matches the NFL season when the players will start playing. For example, the 2010 NFL draft was for the 2010 NFL season. The draft has become very popular and is now shown live on TV. For a long time, it was held in New York City, but since 2015, different cities bid to host it each year.

How the NFL Draft Started

Why the Draft Began

League commissioner Roger Goodell announcing a pick live at the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City

In the early 1930s, a college football star named Stan Kostka was so good that every NFL team wanted to sign him. Because there was no draft, Kostka waited to see which team would offer him the most money. He ended up signing a big contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. To stop these bidding wars for players, the NFL started the draft in 1936.

At that time, some teams like the Philadelphia Eagles found it hard to get good players and sell tickets. Players often chose to sign with the most famous and winning teams. This meant a few teams, like the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, were always strong.

Bert Bell, who co-owned the Eagles, realized that for all NFL teams to succeed, they needed a fair way to get new players. He suggested the draft so that every team would have an equal chance to sign talented college players. This idea was approved in 1935, and the first draft was held the next year.

The rules for the first draft were simple: teams would make a list of college seniors. Then, in reverse order of how they finished the previous year, each team would pick a player. The team that picked a player had the only right to try and sign them to a contract. If they couldn't agree, the player might not play in the NFL that year. Since the Eagles finished last in 1935, they got the first pick in the 1936 draft.

The First Draft (1936)

The first NFL draft took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia on February 8, 1936. Ninety player names were written on a blackboard. Teams didn't have scouts, so they got names from newspapers or college visits. The draft lasted nine rounds and had no media coverage.

The very first player picked was Jay Berwanger. However, the Eagles couldn't sign him, so they traded him to the Bears. The Bears also couldn't sign Berwanger. Many players picked in that first draft didn't end up playing in the NFL.

This draft changed how much new players were paid. Teams could now offer lower salaries because they had the exclusive right to talk to their draft picks. Some people at the time thought this was unfair to the players.

Early Drafts (1937–1946)

In the 1938 draft, Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, picked Byron "Whizzer" White. White had said he wouldn't play pro football because he was going to study in England. But Rooney offered him a huge contract, double what any player had made before, and White agreed to play for one season. This big salary upset other team owners.

In 1939, Kenny Washington, a very talented college player, was not drafted by any team. This was because he was African-American. This showed a sad part of the NFL's history at the time.

"Bullet Bill" Dudley, picked first in the 1942 draft, was the first top pick to later join the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Scouting Begins (1946–1959)

In 1946, Eddie Kotal became the first full-time scout in the NFL, hired by the Los Angeles Rams. This helped teams find better players.

For a while, the NFL had a "bonus pick" system. The first pick was chosen randomly, and the team that won it gave up their last-round pick. This system ended in 1958.

In the 1949 NFL draft, George Taliaferro was the first African-American player picked. However, he chose to play for another league. Wally Triplett was also picked and became the first African-American player to be drafted and play for an NFL team. Later, Paul "Tank" Younger became the first NFL player from a historically black college.

Modern Era (1960–Present)

The 1960 NFL draft became much more competitive because a new league, the American Football League (AFL), started.

In 1976, former NFL player Paul Salata created the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant" for the very last player picked in the draft.

In 1980, the new TV channel ESPN started broadcasting the draft live. At first, many thought it wouldn't be popular, but it grew into a huge TV event. In 1988, the NFL moved the draft to the weekend, and ESPN's viewership soared. Later, the NFL Network also began showing the draft.

Since 2010, the draft has been a three-day event:

• Thursday evening: Round 1
• Friday evening: Rounds 2 and 3
• Saturday morning: Rounds 4 through 7

In recent years, other TV channels like Fox and ABC have also shown the draft, sometimes with different commentators. The 2020 NFL draft was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with teams making picks from their homes.

How the Draft Works Today

Players can enter the NFL draft if they have been out of high school for at least three years. Most players picked have played college football in the United States or sometimes in Canada. A few players might come from other football leagues or even other sports.

The rules only care that a player is three years out of high school. This means players who have been "redshirted" (meaning they didn't play in games for a year in college) can still enter the draft after their third year.

How the Draft Order is Decided

The order of picks is based on how well teams did in the previous season and if they made the playoffs.

• Teams that missed the playoffs: These teams pick first, in reverse order of their records. The team with the fewest wins gets the first pick.
• Ties: If teams have the same record, special rules decide who picks first. These rules look at how tough their opponents' schedules were. The team whose opponents won fewer games gets an earlier pick.

• Teams that made the playoffs: These teams pick later, based on how far they went in the playoffs.

The pick order usually stays the same for all rounds, but teams with tied records will "cycle" their picks. For example, if Team A picks before Team B in Round 1, Team B might pick before Team A in Round 2.

If new teams (expansion teams) join the league, they usually get the first pick.

How Much Time Teams Have

Each team sends representatives to the draft. When it's a team's turn, they are "on the clock." They have a limited time to make their pick:

• Round 1: 10 minutes
• Round 2: 7 minutes
• Rounds 3-6: 5 minutes
• Round 7: 4 minutes

If a team doesn't pick in time, the next team can pick. This means a team could lose out on a player they wanted if they take too long.

Trading Picks

Teams can trade draft picks with each other before and during the draft. They can trade picks for players, or for other picks in the current or future drafts. Teams can trade picks for up to three future drafts.

Extra Picks (Compensatory Picks)

Besides the 32 picks in each of the seven rounds, the NFL gives out up to 32 extra picks called "compensatory picks." These are given to teams that lost more valuable players in free agency than they signed. These picks are usually at the end of rounds 3 through 7. The NFL has a secret formula to decide which teams get these picks and where they are placed, mostly based on how much the lost players signed for with their new teams. Since 2017, teams can trade these compensatory picks.

In 2020, the NFL added a new rule to reward teams that help develop minority coaches or general managers. If a team's minority candidate gets hired by another team for one of these top jobs, the original team gets extra draft picks at the end of the third round in future drafts.

Player Salaries

The NFL has rules about how much money teams can spend on their new draft picks. This amount is part of the team's total salary cap. Players picked earlier in the draft get paid more than players picked later. There's a general pay scale for rookies.

Players who are not drafted can sign with any team as "rookie free agents." They usually get paid less than drafted players.

Before 2011, teams with the first pick could agree to a contract with a player before the draft. But since 2011, all drafted rookies, even the first pick, have their pay and contract length set before the draft.

Losing Picks (Forfeiture)

The NFL Commissioner can take away a team's draft picks if the team breaks league rules. This has happened many times for different reasons, like cheating with player salaries, tampering (talking to players under contract with other teams), or other rule violations. For example, the New England Patriots lost picks for "Deflategate" (using under-inflated footballs).

Team Strategies

Teams have different ways of picking players. Sometimes the owner makes the final decision, sometimes the general manager, or the head coach. For example, in the 1983 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers' coach, Chuck Noll, had the final say. This led to them picking Gabriel Rivera instead of Dan Marino, who became a Hall of Fame quarterback for another team.

Events Before the Draft

NFL Draft Advisory Board

College players who are thinking about entering the NFL draft but still have time to play in college can ask the NFL's Draft Advisory Board for advice. This group of experts predicts which round a player might be drafted in. This helps players decide if they should enter the draft or stay in college to improve.

NFL Scouting Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine is a six-day event held every year in late February or early March in Indianapolis. College football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. This event has become very important, allowing teams to compare players in a fair way.

Players are invited to the Combine. How well they do can affect how teams see them, where they get picked in the draft, and how much money they earn. Sometimes, a player who performs amazingly at the Combine but had an average college career is called a "Workout Warrior."

Pro Day

Each university has a "Pro Day" where NFL scouts visit the school. They watch players do drills and tests similar to the Combine. This is like a job fair for college players hoping to join the NFL.

Pre-Draft Visits

Each NFL team can invite up to 30 draft-eligible players to visit their team facilities. These visits are for physical exams, interviews, and written tests.

All-Star Games

Before the draft, many college football all-star games are played. These games allow college seniors and graduate students to show off their skills to NFL scouts. Starting in 2024, some games also allow juniors to play.

Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is played a few weeks after the college football championship in Mobile, Alabama. It's a chance for college players to impress NFL scouts. Many successful NFL players, like Kevin Faulk and Patrick Mahomes, played in the Senior Bowl.

East-West Shrine Bowl

Started in 1925, this is the oldest college all-star game. Players who plan to enter the NFL draft play in it. It helps coaches and players show their skills and learn from NFL staff. It also raises money for Shriners Hospitals for Children. Famous alumni include Tom Brady and John Elway.

HBCU Legacy Bowl

Started in 2022, this game is for players from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) who are eligible for the NFL draft. It's played in New Orleans and is often the last all-star game before the draft. It also hosts the NFL's HBCU Combine.

Other Events

There are other smaller all-star games and events like the Hula Bowl, Tropical Bowl, and College Gridiron Showcase. These events also help players get noticed by NFL teams.

Where the Draft is Held

History of Locations

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the draft was held in different cities where NFL teams were located.

From 1965 to 2014, the NFL draft was held in various places in New York City. For many years, it was at Radio City Music Hall.

Starting in 2015, the NFL began letting different cities bid to host the draft. Chicago hosted in 2015 and 2016. These drafts changed the event into a big festival with many fans attending. Since then, the NFL has held the draft in a different city each year.

The 2020 draft was supposed to be in Las Vegas, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held virtually, with team staff making picks from their homes.

Future Locations

• Green Bay: 2025
• Pittsburgh: 2026

Summary by City

"Selection Square" for the 2016 NFL draft at Grant Park's Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.

• Chicago: 9 times (1938, 1942–1943, 1951, 1962–1964, 2015–2016)
• Cleveland: 1 time (2021)
• Dallas: 1 time (2018)
• Detroit: 1 time (2024)
• Kansas City: 1 time (2023)
• Las Vegas: 1 time (2022)
• Los Angeles: 1 time (1956)
• Milwaukee: 1 time (1940)
• Nashville: 1 time (2019)

The set for the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City

• New York City: 57 times (1937, 1939, 1945–1947, 1952, 1955, 1965–2014)

The stage for the 2017 NFL draft on Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

• Philadelphia: 15 times (1936, 1944, 1949–1961, 2017)
• Pittsburgh: 2 times (1948–1949)
• Washington, D.C.: 1 time (1941)
• No location (virtual): 1 time (2020)

Supplemental Draft

Since 1977, the NFL has also held a "supplemental draft." This is for players who missed the deadline for the main NFL draft or had other issues that affected their eligibility. It happens after the main draft but before the next season starts.

In the supplemental draft, teams don't have to use a pick. If a team wants a player, they tell the Commissioner which round they would pick that player. If no other team wants the player earlier, that team gets the player. But then, they have to give up their pick in the same round in the next year's regular draft.

A famous example is Bernie Kosar in 1985. He wanted to play for the Cleveland Browns. His agent found a way for him to enter the supplemental draft instead of the main one, so the Browns could pick him. This caused some controversy, but no rules were broken. After this, the NFL changed the rules for the supplemental draft order.

Images for kids

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  The current logo for the NFL draft

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  League commissioner Roger Goodell announcing a pick live at the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City

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  "Selection Square" for the 2016 NFL draft at Grant Park's Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.

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  The set for the 2010 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City

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  The stage for the 2017 NFL draft on Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

See also

• Drafts in sports
• List of NFL drafts
• List of NFL draft broadcasters
• List of final selections of NFL drafts
• List of NFL draft first overall picks