My Thoughts on the NFL Draft

So the NFL Draft starts tomorrow night.  I am definitely excited about it.  I like reading about the prospects and draft projections.  I like hearing what the analysts say about a prospect’s football future.  I know I’ll try to listen to part of the draft on the radio.  I don’t have cable, and I’m trying to convince my wife to let me get rabbit ears for the TV so I can at least watch some of the primetime. 

Anyway, so I’ve really only taken an interest in the draft the last two years.  I am a Buffalo Bills fan, and I really only started watching the draft since the Bills drafted Spiller.  I was following that draft as a passing fancy.  I really didn’t look into the drafted prospects until after the fact.  Last year, I really didn’t get a chance to follow the draft, as I was a new father, and I was starting a new job.  This year, however, I am in a stable job, and my son is not up every 2 hours wanting food.  So, my attention turns back to the NFL. 

I was asked why I like the draft so much.  I suppose it’s because this is the one part of the football process where everyone can feel like they had a part in it.  I mean, anyone with internet access can chime in, and become the ultimate “Draft Expert”.  Fan based sites are over-flowing with Mock Drafts.  I even saw one Mock Draft that went through all 7 rounds! 

The part that I find the most intriguing about the Draft process is that after a draft pick is made, it takes about three years to determine if a draft was a bust, success, or a steal.  Three years!  You can almost complete a college degree in that time frame.  That means that after three years of playing, there will be three more drafts, and three more predictions on new people.  Three years is almost an eternity to some NFL people. 

For example, three years ago, (the 2008-2009 season) The Pittsburgh Steelers just beat the Arizona Cardinals for the Super Bowl.  Santonio Holmes was the Super Bowl MVP.  Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) was the NFL MVP.  Brett Favre was a New York Jet.  The Oakland Raiders had the highest NFL Payroll at $152.4 Million, and Kansas City was the lowest at $83.6 Million.  Big Ben Roethlisberger made the most money that year.  He was paid $27.7 Million. 

When we go to the 2011-12 year, the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots.  Eli Manning was the the Super Bowl MVP.  Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) was the NFL MVP.  Peyton Manning is now a Denver Bronco.  Brett Favre is retired. 

A new Collective Bargaining Agreement is now in place, so these payroll numbers are a little skewed.  The Minnesota Vikings had the highest Payroll at $123.5 Million, and the Jacksonville Jaguars had the lowest payroll at $92.7 Million.  Peyton Manning was the highest paid player coming in at $23 Million. 

But anyway, I digress.  I know I’m ready for some football, and the Draft is just around the corner. 

-          - S. Dartmoore

“I think the best way to think is to think of something to think about, then think on it.” -me