The NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting",[1][2][3] is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment.[4] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.[5]
In 1936, the league introduced the NFL draft after team owners voted on it in 1935.[6][7] The intention of the draft is to make the NFL more competitive, as some teams had an advantage in signing players.[5][7] From 1947 through 1958 the NFL designated the first overall selection as a "bonus" or "lottery pick". The pick was awarded by a random draw and the winner who received the "bonus pick" forfeited its selection in the final round of the draft and became ineligible for future draws. The system was abolished prior to the 1959 NFL draft, as all twelve teams in the league at the time had received a bonus choice.[8][9]
- ^ "NFL Draft Profile – NFL Draft". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ Farmer, Sam (April 26, 2008). "What makes them tick". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ Reuter, Chad (April 13, 2012). "Who will be the best pro RB? Martin vs. Miller vs. Wilson". National Football League. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ "NFL 2021 Draft date: when and where is it taking place?". Diario AS. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "The rules of the NFL Draft". National Football League. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "1936 – The NFL's First Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Learn the history of the NFL Draft". National Football League. Archived from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Signora, Michael; Gilbert, Zak; Drexler, Sam; Enos, Cody; Romanko, Reilly (eds.). "Official 2023 National Football League Record & Fact Book" (PDF). National Football League. p. 529. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "Hall of Famers by Draft Round". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.