NFL Draft
First held in 1936 with nine teams picking 81 players over nine rounds, the NFL Draft looks much different today.
Easily the highlight of the offseason, the NFL Draft has become an event in itself and has taken place in bigger and bigger venues as time has gone on to accommodate more fans.
The NFL Draft now consists of seven rounds, and win-loss records from the previous season determine the selection order. The team with the worst record is positioned first in each round, while the Super Bowl champion is positioned 32nd.
Of course, teams can choose to trade their respective picks, which happens often. Some franchises are also awarded compensatory picks, given to teams that lost more (or better) free agents than they acquired. Those picks are positioned from Round 3 to Round 7.
Dan Marino and Lamar Jackson have more and common than you’d think, including a level of early career success where Jackson is the new king.
The New York Jets already gave up on Sam Darnold. Will 2020 second-round pick Denzel Mims become New York’s latest NFL draft bust?
Jimmy Walker, the Pistons’ first-ever No. 1 overall NBA draft pick and Jalen Rose’s father, was also the last pick in the 1967 NFL draft.
Jaylen Twyman had a wild ride from draft day to being shot to hitting waivers when he reported to camp, but his NFL journey isn’t over yet. The sixth-round pick out of Pittsburgh is compared to his fellow ex-Panther Aaron Donald and could have a very good career still ahead of him despite his challenges.
WWE Hall of Famer “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, who passed away on Monday at the age of 71, was a 12th-round NFL draft pick before beginning his career in professional wrestling.
The New York Jets players and coaches are already loving one of their rookies, but it’s not the first overall draft pick or even the second. New QB Zach Wilson and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur are heaping praise on the No. 34 overall pick, Elijah Moore, who helps headline a revamped offense Jets for 2020.
Justin Fields’ contract with the Chicago Bears guarantees him $18.8 million with an $11 million signing bonus. It also makes him the first top QB from the 2021 NFL draft to sign with his new team, but it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be the Bears’ Week 1 starter at quarterback with Andy Dalton in the mix.
As the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2021 NFL draft, the question “is Zach Wilson better than Trevor Lawrence?” will follow both QBs in their career. When you look at the Zach Wilson vs. Trevor Lawrence tale of the tape, Lawrence comes out on top, but Chris Simms likes Wilson better.
ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz’s 2021 statistical models show the New York Jets are the most likely team to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The projections also show that several teams that have drafted QBs high in the last two draft might finish in the top 10 picks as well.
NBC NFL analyst Chris Simms started revealing his annual Top 40 QB Countdown. At the back end of the list, Simms shocked many when he put the No. 66 pick, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kellen Mond ahead of both the San Francisco 49ers’ Trey Lance and the Chicago Bears’ Justin Fields.
