The NFL Draft, officially the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event where NFL teams select eligible college football players. The draft order is determined by the previous season's standings, with the team having the worst record picking first and the Super Bowl champion picking last. Teams can either select a player or trade their pick for other draft picks or players. The draft has been held annually since 1936 and serves as the primary way teams acquire new talent.
In 1925, the East-West Shrine Bowl, the oldest running college all-star game, was established.
In December 1934, the NFL introduced a waiver rule to prevent teams from trading players to playoff-bound teams late in the season. This rule allowed any player released during the season to be claimed by other teams in inverse order of their standings.
In 1934, Stan Kostka led the Minnesota Gophers to an undefeated season as a University of Minnesota running back.
On May 18, 1935, Bert Bell proposed a draft to enhance competitive parity and ensure the financial viability of all NFL franchises. The proposal was adopted unanimously that day.
On August 25, 1935, Stan Kostka signed a $5,000 contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the league's highest-paid player after holding out for the highest possible offer.
In the 1935 NFL season, the Eagles finished in last place with a 2–9 record, securing the first pick in the upcoming draft.
On February 8, 1936, the first NFL draft began at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. Jay Berwanger was the first player ever selected. The draft lasted for nine rounds and was completed the following day.
In 1936, Wellington Mara demonstrated his drafting skills, resulting in the Giants drafting Tuffy Leemans. Also, Tim Mara reduced Ken Strong's salary offer due to the draft's expected impact on the salary structure of the NFL.
In 1936, the NFL instituted the draft as a response to the bidding war for Stan Kostka.
In 1936, the first NFL draft was held to recruit players, giving teams positions in reverse order of their previous year's record. This event has occurred annually since its inception.
In 1937, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In 1938, Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Byron "Whizzer" White, who initially stated he would not play professional football. Rooney gave White a guaranteed contract of $15,000 to get him to play, which caused condemnation from other owners.
In 1939, Kenny Washington was considered one of the greatest college football players of all time.
In 1939, Wellington Mara took charge of drafting players for the Giants. He selected Walt Nielsen, a player not on the submitted list, in the first round.
In 1939, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In the 1940 NFL draft, Kenny Washington, who was African-American, was not drafted by any team.
In 1941, the NFL draft was held in Washington, D.C.
In the 1942 draft, "Bullet Bill" Dudley was the first overall pick and eventually entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 1945, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In 1946, Eddie Kotal became the first player scout when he was hired by Dan Reeves of the Los Angeles Rams.
In 1947, competitive parity had not arrived in the NFL as perennial losers, such as the Eagles and Chicago Cardinals, standings' did not improve.
In 1947, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In 1947, the NFL instituted a bonus pick system due to competition with the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
In 1949, George Taliaferro became the first African-American selected in the NFL draft. Wally Triplett was chosen in the nineteenth round and would be the first African-American to be selected in the draft and make an NFL team.
In 1952, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In 1955, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In 1958, the bonus pick system was abolished after all twelve clubs in the league had received a bonus choice.
In 1960, the NFL draft marked a turning point because of the pending arrival of the American Football League (AFL), as it became a "high-stakes, competitive affair."
Between 1965 and 2014, the NFL draft was held entirely in venues within New York City, establishing a long-standing tradition before the league sought new locations.
In 1965, the NFL draft was held by telephone, with no specific location.
In 1966, the NFL draft was held in New York.
In 1976, Paul Salata first coined the moniker "Mr. Irrelevant" to refer to the last overall player selected in the draft.
In 1977, the origins of the NFL Scouting Combine evolved from the National, BLESTO, and Quadra Scouting services.
Since 1977, the NFL has held a supplemental draft to accommodate players who did not enter the regular draft.
The Shouldergate controversy occurred in 1978, leading to the Pittsburgh Steelers forfeiting a third-round pick in the 1979 NFL draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers forfeited a third-round pick in 1979 for the 1978 Shouldergate controversy, marking one of multiple occasions the team has lost draft selections.
In 1980, Chet Simmons, president of ESPN, asked Pete Rozelle if the network could broadcast the draft live on ESPN, which Rozelle agreed to.
In 1980, the NFL draft was first televised by ESPN, marking the beginning of its evolution into a major U.S. television event.
Since 1980, a total of 28 selections have been forfeited by NFL teams for 23 rules violations. The New England Patriots have been penalized the most, losing five draft picks for four violations.
In 1983, Bernie Kosar led the University of Miami to its first national championship.
In 1983, New England Patriots head coach Ron Meyer stated that the team, led by owner Billy Sullivan, excluded the coaching staff from any personnel-related decisions, even prohibiting him from reading scouting reports. Meyer disagreed with the choice of Tony Eason in the first round.
In the 1983 NFL draft, Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach Chuck Noll had "the final say" and drafted Gabriel Rivera over Art Rooney's favorite, Dan Marino, which later haunted the Steelers due to Rivera's short career and Marino's Hall of Fame career.
In 1984, the NFL held a supplemental draft for players who were under contract with USFL and CFL teams.
The 1985 supplemental draft was particularly controversial after Quarterback Bernie Kosar, who had led the University of Miami to its first national championship, decided to turn pro before finishing his eligibility at Miami.
In 1987, Brian Bosworth did not declare for the NFL draft because he did not want to play for the Indianapolis Colts or the Buffalo Bills, who drafted second and third that year. He later signed with the Seattle Seahawks for a record-breaking rookie contract.
In 1987, ESPN Sunday Night NFL began, running until 2005.
Art Rooney Sr., the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, passed away in 1988. Until his death, he frequently reminded his sons that the team "should've drafted Marino" in the 1983 draft.
In 1988, the NFL moved the draft from weekdays to the weekend, improving ESPN's ratings of the coverage dramatically.
As of the 1990 season, only players who had graduated or exhausted their college eligibility were made available for the supplemental draft.
Since 1993, only players who had planned to attend college but for various reasons could not, have been included in the supplemental draft.
In 1995, the Theater at Madison Square Garden hosted the NFL draft for a ten-year period.
In 1998, the Pittsburgh Steelers attempted to circumvent the salary cap involving offensive lineman Will Wolford, which led to the forfeiture of a third-round pick in the 2001 NFL draft.
In 2001, the Pittsburgh Steelers forfeited a third-round pick due to trying to circumvent the salary cap involving offensive lineman Will Wolford in 1998.
In October 2003, the NFL Network launched.
During the 2003 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings were late with their 7th overall pick selection. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted quarterback Byron Leftwich, and the Carolina Panthers drafted offensive tackle Jordan Gross before the Vikings were able to submit their selection of defensive tackle Kevin Williams.
In 2004, the Theater at Madison Square Garden hosted the NFL draft for the last time.
In 2005, ESPN Sunday Night NFL ended.
In 2005, the NFL Draft was moved to Javits Convention Center.
In 2006, the NFL Draft was held at Radio City Music Hall.
In 2006, the NFL Network began to produce its own draft coverage, providing competition to ESPN.
In 2007, FS Paul Oliver was taken by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the supplemental draft.
In 2007, the time limits for selections in the NFL draft were adjusted to 10 minutes in the first round, 7 minutes in the second, and 5 minutes in the third through sixth rounds. Previously, the limits were 15 minutes, 10 minutes, and 5 minutes respectively.
In 2008, the Kansas City Chiefs had the highest rookie salary cap allotment at about $8.22 million due to having 12 picks, while the Cleveland Browns had the lowest at $1.79 million with only five picks. The specific mechanisms are set out in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
In the 2008 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers forfeited a fourth-round pick because they selected FS Paul Oliver in the 2007 supplemental draft.
In the 2009 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions agreed to a six-year, $78 million deal with quarterback Matthew Stafford a day before the draft, and then selected him with the first overall pick. This was the last example of a team agreeing to terms with a player before the draft under the previous rules.
In 2010, the NFL draft was held for the 2010 NFL season. The name of the draft each year takes on the form of the NFL season in which players picked could begin playing.
In 2010, the NFL moved to a three-day draft format.
In the 2011 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens missed their pick due to ongoing trade negotiations with the Chicago Bears. As a result, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to make their selection ahead of Baltimore, disrupting the Ravens' planned trade with Chicago.
Since 2011, all rookies that are drafted, even those drafted first overall, now have their compensation and duration predetermined each year before the draft occurs, and can no longer negotiate beforehand.
In 2012, New York City bid for the Summer Olympics.
In 2014, a scheduling conflict at Radio City Music Hall, the longtime host venue, forced the NFL to schedule the draft later than planned. This prompted the league to open bidding for a new site to host the 2015 draft.
In 2014, the NFL Draft was held for the last time at Radio City Music Hall.
In 2014, the NFL draft was held in New York City.
In the 2014 NFL draft, teams with identical records "cycled" picks in subsequent rounds. For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all finished 4–12. Jacksonville picked last in the second round, and the cycling continued in each round.
In 2015, Chicago hosted the NFL draft and reimagined it into a large-scale event with the "Draft Town" fan festival in Grant Park, drawing 200,000 visitors and pioneering large-scale attendance and festivities.
In 2015, Chicago won the bidding and hosted the NFL Draft for the first time since 1964, marking the transformation of the draft into an event featuring festivities and large public crowds.
In 2015, an independently operated annual post-season college football event was inaugurated in Texas for small college players from FCS, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA.
In 2015, future draft locations started being determined through a yearly bidding process, ending its 50 year run in New York City.
In 2015, the time allotted for seventh-round selections was shortened from five to four minutes, adding more pressure for teams to quickly make their choices.
In 2016, Chicago hosted the NFL Draft for the second year in a row.
In 2016, the event in Texas switched to its current drill showcase and "controlled scrimmage" format.
Since 2016, an event has been held in Florida, with over 350 alumni playing in the NFL.
Beginning with the 2017 NFL draft, compensatory selections became tradable, adding another layer of strategy to team draft decisions. Compensatory selections are awarded based on players lost and gained in free agency.
In 2018, Patrick Mahomes was named NFL MVP. Later in 2019, he co-hosted the first day of ABC's draft coverage.
In 2018, the draft was carried on broadcast television for the first time ever. Fox and NFL Network simulcast the first two nights, while ESPN continued its coverage, and ABC simulcasted day 3.
In 2019, ABC acquired the broadcast television rights for all three days of the NFL draft, ending the Fox/NFL Network simulcast. ABC's coverage featured the College GameDay crew on days 1 and 2, while day 1 also included Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, Patrick Mahomes, and Taylor Swift as co-hosts. Day 3 featured the ESPN crew.
In 2019, the NFL draft was held in Nashville.
In November 2020, the NFL enacted Resolution JC-2A, which rewards teams with draft picks for developing minority candidates who are hired as head coaches or general managers by other teams, aiming to promote diversity.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL draft, initially planned for Las Vegas, was transitioned to a virtual format. NFL Network simulcasted ESPN's coverage for all three days, with personalities from both networks participating remotely. ABC continued to carry a feed with the College GameDay crew for the first two days.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL draft, originally scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, was held virtually, with teams conducting it via telecommunication.
In 2020, Trey Wingo left ESPN. As a result, Mike Greenberg took over as ESPN's host for the first two nights of the 2021 NFL draft.
The 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) explicitly provided the details of a new formula to determine compensatory draft picks, still based primarily on salary. Previously, the formula was never revealed by the NFL.
In 2021, the NFL Network resumed producing its own coverage of the draft after a one-year hiatus. ESPN and ABC continued to offer separate feeds, with Mike Greenberg hosting ESPN's coverage for the first two nights and Rece Davis hosting ESPN's Day 3 coverage, which was also simulcast on ABC. This marks a return to normal after the virtual draft in 2020.
In 2022, NFL teams are allowed to trade draft picks for the next three draft cycles, meaning picks through the 2024 draft can be traded prior to the 2022 draft. Once the 2022 draft starts, picks from the 2025 draft become eligible to be traded.
In 2022, the HBCU Legacy Bowl was started for NFL draft-eligible players from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU).
In 2022, the NFL draft finally took place in Las Vegas after a two-year delay. ESPN's Adam Schefter missed the draft, Mel Kiper Jr. participated virtually, and Kirk Herbstreit withdrew from ABC's coverage due to blood clots.
Up until the 2023 season, only Seniors or graduates students could participate in the all-star games.
For the 2024 NFL draft the league eased its rules to allow juniors to participate in three college football postseason all-star games: the Senior Bowl, East–West Shrine Bowl and the HBCU Legacy Bowl, while all other all-star games will not be allowed to invite underclassmen.
Prior to the start of the 2022 NFL draft, teams can trade picks through the 2024 draft. This allows teams to strategize and acquire additional players by leveraging future draft selections.
The 2024 NFL draft in Detroit set an all-time attendance record with more than 775,000 visitors, continuing the trend of large-scale attendance and festivities.
In 2025, the NFL draft will be held in Green Bay.
Once the 2022 NFL draft commences, teams become eligible to trade picks from the 2025 draft, offering greater flexibility in team-building strategies.
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