From worst to first: Understanding how the NFL Draft system works
Annual event gives NFL's worst teams first shot at top collegiate talent
Updated: 5:41 AM CDT Apr 24, 2025
THIS WHOLE PROCESS. THE DRAFT IS THE NFL’S PREMIER OFFSEASON EVENT. IT’S A CHANCE FOR TEAMS TO BETTER THEIR ROSTER WITH TOP TIER COLLEGIATE TALENT, OR SET THEIR FRANCHISE BACK DECADES WITH A BAD PICK. ALSO KNOWN AS A DRAFT BUST. BUT WHAT IS THE NFL DRAFT? IT’S AN ANNUAL EVENT THAT TRAVELS FROM CITY TO CITY, WHERE ALL 32 TEAMS TAKE PART, SELECTING THE BEST OF THE BEST COLLEGE PLAYERS FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON. IT’S A THREE DAY, SEVEN ROUND FORMAT, WITH ROUND ONE BEING ON DAY ONE, ROUND TWO AND THREE ON DAY TWO, AND ROUNDS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN ON DAY THREE. IN TOTAL, THERE ARE 257 PICKS IN THE DRAFT, WITH EACH TEAM RECEIVING AT LEAST ONE PICK IN EACH ROUND, AND THEY HAVE SEVEN MINUTES TO MAKE THAT PICK IN THE FIRST ROUND, FIVE MINUTES IN THE SECOND ROUND AND FOUR MINUTES IN ROUNDS THREE THROUGH SEVEN, AND THE ORDER OF THE PICKS IS DONE BY A SIMPLE PROCESS. THE TEAM WITH THE WORST RECORD FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON GETS THE FIRST PICK, AND THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPS GET THE LAST PICK. THE THOUGHT HERE IS THAT THE WORST TEAM GETS THE BEST PLAYER, WITH THE HOPES OF IMPROVING THEIR SQUAD MOVING FORWARD. AS OF NOW, THE PACKERS HAVE EIGHT TOTAL PICKS IN THE 2025 NFL DRAFT. THEY ACQUIRED AN EXTRA SEVENTH ROUND PICK FROM THE STEELERS AS PART OF A TRADE. OH YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU COULD TRADE THESE PICKS, TOO. AND MOVE UP OR DOWN IN THE DRAFT TO EITHER SELECT THE PLAYER YOU REALLY WANT OR ADD MORE PICKS TO YOUR DRAFT DAY. ARSENAL. OVERALL, THE NFL DRAFT ISN’T JUST ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN FOOTBALL. IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN ALL OF SPORTS, ATTRACTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FANS TO THE HOST CITY, WHILE MILLIONS MORE WATCH AT HOME. SOMETHING YOU COULD DO RIGHT HERE. THURSDAY NIGHT ON WISN 12. BECAUSE W
From worst to first: Understanding how the NFL Draft system works
Annual event gives NFL's worst teams first shot at top collegiate talent
Updated: 5:41 AM CDT Apr 24, 2025
The NFL Draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, where hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to gather as teams select collegiate talent. The three-day event is considered one of the NFL's premier offseason spectacles, where teams can either strengthen their rosters or potentially set their franchises back with poor selections.The draft spans seven rounds over three days, with 257 total picks. Teams receive at least one pick per round, with selection order determined by previous season records — the worst team picks first, while the Super Bowl champion selects last.Teams have specific time limits for selections: 7 minutes in round one, 5 minutes in round two, and 4 minutes for rounds three through seven. Teams can trade picks to move up or down in the draft order, allowing them to target specific players or accumulate additional selections.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The NFL Draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, where hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to gather as teams select collegiate talent.
The three-day event is considered one of the NFL's premier offseason spectacles, where teams can either strengthen their rosters or potentially set their franchises back with poor selections.
The draft spans seven rounds over three days, with 257 total picks. Teams receive at least one pick per round, with selection order determined by previous season records — the worst team picks first, while the Super Bowl champion selects last.
Teams have specific time limits for selections: 7 minutes in round one, 5 minutes in round two, and 4 minutes for rounds three through seven.
Teams can trade picks to move up or down in the draft order, allowing them to target specific players or accumulate additional selections.