The biggest dates during the NFL offseason are those that encompass the NFL Draft. Here’s how the showpiece event works.
Now a showpiece event on the annual football calendar, the NFL Draft has taken on a life of its own. Between the mock draft culture that involves prognosticating picks all year round (and in some cases for drafts years in the future) and the hundreds of thousands of fans who attend the draft in person (and the millions who watch at home), the NFL Draft is big business.
If you’re a new football fan interested in the draft’s allure and how it all works or a fantasy football manager trying to apply the NFL Draft’s results to your fantasy draft strategy, read on for a complete draft guide.
How Does the NFL Draft Work?
The draft is a three-day extravaganza, where teams look to bolster their rosters by outfoxing the competition and landing the best players — or best fits for their schemes — by snagging the top talent the collegiate game has to offer.
Here’s a closer look at the ins and outs of the draft:
How Many Rounds Are in the NFL Draft?
There are currently seven rounds in the NFL Draft, but it wasn’t always that way.
For starters, those seven rounds are split over the course of three days, which was not the standard until 2010. The first round takes place on a Thursday night, followed by the next two on Friday night and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday afternoon.
Previously, the draft was a two-day, Saturday-Sunday affair, with the first three rounds on Day 1, followed by the remaining four.
Prior to the seven-round era, which began in 1994 after free agency and the salary cap were instituted, the draft went through multiple makeovers. It started, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1936, with a nine-round event, before expanding to 10 a year later. In 1939, it doubled to 20 rounds, and in the 1940s it increased to as many as 32. After the AFL-NFL merger, the draft was reduced to 12 rounds in 1977. It remained at 12 until 1993, when it was stripped down to eight.
How Many Picks Are in the NFL Draft?
That, too, is not as straightforward of an answer as one might expect. Assuming the league remains at 32 teams, one might presume there to be 224 picks (32 x 7, although we were told there would be no math). But occasionally teams are stripped of picks for disciplinary reasons, which reduces the overall number.
Beyond that, there are compensatory selections, which are doled out annually and change from year to year. Those picks are awarded to teams who lose more or better compensatory free agents (as defined by the league’s collective bargaining agreement) than they acquired in the previous year. Compensatory picks take place at the end of Rounds 3-7, and no team can receive more than four in a given draft, but the overall total awarded impacts the bottom line.
With all that said, there are typically upwards of 250-260 picks in a modern-day NFL Draft.
In the first round, each team has 10 minutes on the clock to either make or deal away its pick. In the second round, that number shrinks to seven minutes. From Rounds 3-6, the clock is at five minutes, while for the last round, there are four minutes on the clock for each team.
Teams can make their picks as quickly as they like and are not obligated to use the full allotment of time. If the clock expires before the pick is in, however, then the team that is picking next can swoop in and snag whomever they’d like (that is still available, of course).
That famously happened in 2003, when the Minnesota Vikings failed to make their first-round pick in time (they were reportedly locked in trade talks, thought they had a deal, then didn’t) and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers each made picks before the Vikings eventually selected Oklahoma State defensive tackle Kevin Williams two picks later than their original slot.
Pick Trades
Teams will deal their picks regularly either before or during the draft. If one team is eyeing a player and doesn’t think he’ll fall all the way to their spot, they’ll put together a package to move up. If another team thinks that the player it wants will last a bit longer (or perhaps it just wants to add more draft volume), it will look to deal its pick and move down.
It’s all about capital and value when it comes to draft day. For teams with plenty of roster holes, they may benefit more from stockpiling picks (and future picks — you can trade selections from following years’ drafts) than from standing pat and taking a player who may be better than anyone else they’ll end up with but not net as much quantity.
Gaming the draft is as big a part of the event as making the picks themselves. Draft picks are akin to lottery tickets, and the most successful franchises are the ones who know how best to wield them and when to cash them in.
Eligibility for the NFL Draft
Players must be three years removed from high school before being draft-eligible while having exhausted their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen who meet the former requirement or players who graduated while still maintaining more college eligibility can apply for early entry and the league’s approval.
When Is the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft’s dates vary from year to year, but it is typically held from Thursday through Saturday on the last weekend in April, making it a springtime staple on the NFL calendar.
Prior to the draft, there’s the NFL Combine — an event where draft prospects are put through a gauntlet of workouts and interviews — in late February/early March. The results of the Combine are not the end-all, but players can see their draft stocks soar or tumble based on their performance under the spotlight.
Why Should Fantasy Football Players Care About the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft has proven that it can have a direct impact on fantasy football. If a stud quarterback, running back, wide receiver or tight end falls into a great situation — one where the road to immediate playing time is clear and the potential for production is high — then fantasy managers must take notice.
Relying on rookies can be a dicey proposition for fantasy managers, but every year there are fantasy-relevant first-year players who emerge as league-winning talents. In 2024 alone, QB Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders, first round), WR Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars, first round), TE Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders, first round) and RB Bucky Irving (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fourth round) qualified as such, and fantasy managers who were wise enough to draft them or pounce on the waiver wire reaped the benefits.
The situation is often just as important as the talent, and if you’re a fantasy manager, you have to be attuned to the potential high-impact rookies as you craft your draft boards. You also need to be mindful of NFL team depth charts, as injuries or ineffectiveness can open up unexpected opportunities to backups — and, yes, that includes recently-drafted rookies — across the league.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the draft change to seven rounds?
That happened in 1994, and it’s been seven rounds ever since.
What is Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft?
Mr. Irrelevant refers to the last player picked in the draft. The term was initially used in 1976, with the first Mr. Irrelevant being Kelvin Kirk, a University of Dayton wide receiver who was picked at No. 487 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. (There were far more than seven rounds back then.)
The dubious honor has grown in terms of tradition over the years, but the last pick in the draft doesn’t always become a pro flop. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy is the most recent and prominent example of a Mr. Irrelevant who turned out to be very relevant, doing so after being taken with pick No. 262 of the 2022 draft.
The 2009 Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Succop, was a kicker taken by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 256, and he had a long-lasting impact during his time in the league.
Where is the NFL Draft held?
After a lengthy run in New York City from 1965-2014, the draft has been a traveling circus, with cities being awarded the event like it’s a Super Bowl. Fans have flocked to the draft for years, to soak in the atmosphere and cheer on (or relentlessly boo) their teams’ picks, and rotating locations has been a major hit. For example, over the course of three days, over 700,000 fans attended the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. The 2025 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
How much do draft picks get paid?
There’s a sliding scale for rookies in the NFL, and the numbers differ by the year. In 2025, the No. 1 overall pick stands to make more than $42 million over his four-year deal, while seventh rounders stand to rake in just over $4 million over their four-year rookie deals. It pays, quite literally, to be drafted higher.
Start Drafting With Sleeper
Now that you’re up to speed on the NFL Draft, get your own draft hat on with Sleeper. You can join either by signing up on the website or downloading the app.
You can prepare for the next season of fantasy football by utilizing Sleeper’s user-friendly mock draft room, which allows you to set parameters and get a sense of how your draft might unfold. You can also host your season-long leagues on Sleeper, with customizable options that ensure you and your league mates have the all settings you want.
If Daily Fantasy Sports is more your pace, then try your hand at Sleeper Picks, where you can maximize your winnings and earn real cash by making a few selections regarding whether you think players will exceed or fall short of their projected stats.
