How does the NFL Draft 2023 work? Rules and format explained
Ever wondered how the NFL Draft works? We've got you covered.
The NFL Draft can be as complex as it is fascinating. The British sporting palette simply isn't attuned to the format, but we're here to help you make sense of it all.
If you've ever wondered how the Draft works and, importantly, why the Americans are so obsessed with the notion of drafting players to their teams, you've come to the right place.
Regardless of your level of experience with the NFL, RadioTimes.com brings you all the details on how the Draft works so you can enjoy the chaos from the comfort of your own home.
How does the NFL Draft work?
The NFL Draft is a system with a twofold purpose. Firstly, it is designed to filter the best college football players into the professional NFL world.
College football is big business across the US, with stadiums topping 100,000 capacities and fans supporting their college teams in the same way UK football fans would follow their local professional team.
However, the time must come for all college players to graduate, and when they do they can choose to declare their availability in the NFL Draft.
Secondly, it seeks to balance out the league to prevent one team dominating every season.
There are 32 teams in the NFL, divided into two conferences. The conferences are then divided into four divisions each.
At the end of the season, all 32 teams' win percentages are ranked in one long list, with the team who has suffered the worst win percentage in No.1 spot descending to the team who wins the Super Bowl in No.32. This becomes the basis of the Draft order.
By allowing the 'worst' team in the NFL to pick the best college players, the NFL constantly tries to rebalance itself.
This long list of 32 teams is then repeated seven times, for the seven rounds of the Draft. Each team starts with seven 'picks', one per round.
The teams each have time on the clock to select one college player from the pool of names available, taking turns in the chosen order to do so, until seven rounds have passed.
Simple, right? Well, the basics are, but this is the NFL, and in the NFL, wheeling and dealing is crucial.
Some teams may prefer to trade their high draft pick for multiple lower picks.
For example, if the Tennessee Titans were desperate for one particular quarterback who may not be on the board by the time they're on the clock, they could trade their No.11 and No.41 overall picks to the Arizona Cardinals for their No.3 overall pick.
This means the Titans stand a better chance of landing their man, while the Cardinals, who may not need to draft a top-three QB, would be happy to wait a few more turns and gain an extra pick in the second round (No.41).
More like this
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
On top of trades on the night, a number of draft picks have already been traded throughout the last few seasons for existing professional players.
For example, the Cleveland Browns won't feature in the first round of the Draft because they traded their 2022, 2023 and 2024 first round picks (plus three more later round picks) to the Houston Texans in a colossal trade for QB Deshaun Watson.
That was an extreme example, but it clearly shows the Browns' and Texans' priorities: the Browns desperately wanted to plug an elite QB into their existing team, the Texans have doubled their hand of first rounds picks to steadily build over the coming seasons.
In fact, five teams won't actually participate in the first round having traded their picks away.
Check out the entire NFL Draft order 2023 to see which teams will select players first.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
