The 2020 NFL Draft will take place on the originally scheduled dates. The format of the annual event, however, will be substantially different. War rooms for all 32 NFL teams will be divided as team leaders will be drafting virtually from separate locations. While members of some teams have complained, there is no reason this adjustment should critically alter the course of the draft.
The college scouting process is a year-long event. The best organizations are silently adjusting to a virtual draft because their preparation has already been completed. If teams are suggesting that they need more information to make draft decisions, then this is a testament to inadequate work over the past 12 months. In fact, limiting time and opportunities for franchises to overthink decisions might be a blessing in disguise for well-prepared teams.
During the 1996 off-season, the Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore. This move was accompanied by distractions that certainly affected the team’s traditional scouting timeline. Turmoil and personnel turnover, however, did little to negatively affect the Ravens’ draft choices. Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis were the team’s first two picks.
The moral of this story is that it is often crucial that teams not second-guess their long-term work. There is a lot of time between the end of the college season and the draft. During that time, college players entering the draft rarely improve or attenuate to a significant degree. The amount of rumors and information, however, significantly increases every day after the final college game for each player. This is why so many teams opt for busts instead of locks when making selections.
COVID-19 has dramatically changed the lives of everyone around the world. While the effect on sports is minimal compared to the serious problems that this pandemic has caused for many, the NFL, in particular, has nothing to complain about. Regarding timing, this could not have struck at a time further distanced from the start of the regular season. This contrasts greatly when compared to the effect on the MLB and NBA.
There are some once-in-a-lifetime NFL happenings that this pandemic has affected. College athletes will not get to hear their names called on stage and walk up to shake the commissioner’s hand on draft day. Large gatherings, even at home, are unlikely to happen. Extended family and college coaches, as a result, will have to celebrate draft selections virtually.
It is these people who have the right to complain. Not the front offices of professional football franchises who have had months and years to prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft. To all of those teams asking for more time, shame on you.
