Some people (present company included) can’t get enough of the NFL Draft.
And if one front office executive has their way, there will be more draft nuggets to cover if the league takes a rumored proposal seriously.
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert has offered up the idea to the league that it adds three rounds to the upcoming NFL Draft, reports New York Daily News reporter Manish Mehta. That would extend the draft to 10 rounds, which would be the first change since 1994 when it was trimmed from 8 to 7. There was a time when the NFL Draft was 10+ rounds, but that hasn’t happened since 1992 when it was a 12-round showdown.
The idea behind the proposal, Mehta writes, is to offset restrictions that have come about since COVID-19 restrictions have limited teams around the league.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the sports world for a loop. And even though the NFL continues to chug along acting like it’s business as usual, some aspects of league dealings have been impacted — none more than the upcoming NFL Draft. Because instead of traveling for Pro Days and private workouts or hosting prospects for visits, teams have been forced to flip the script and host video meetings with prospective draft picks. So while that helps front office executives get to know players better than not being able to reach out at all, there is still a feeling in some corners that the margin for error is uncomfortably thin.
It seems a bit kooky to think that adding draft rounds will help matters, but it could be helpful as teams build out their 90-man preseason rosters. And hey, we’ve been wishing for the Bears to add draft picks this offseason. So on the surface, I’m not against it. However, because Chicago’s front office has done a quality job in bringing in undrafted free agents during Ryan Pace’s time as general manager, an extended draft would bite into any competitive advantage he has built in that particular arena.
There is no word on if the NFL is considering adding rounds to the draft, which kicks off on April 23. But the idea is worth kicking around for the time being.