The NFL Draft is arguably the most important night of the season for general managers looking to lay the groundwork for their next -- or first -- championship teams. Given the constrictions of the salary cap, nothing is more important than adding impactful young talent.
2016 NFL Draft: Explaining how to make a draft pick
The draft process isn’t all that complicated, but there are a couple of tricky rules that every team must understand.
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The act of scouting players is far more complicated than the actual drafting system, though there are a couple intricate sets of rules that every club must know. The last thing any GM wants to do on draft night is screw up the process.
How many minutes does a team have to pick?
Round 1: 10 minutes
Round 2: 7 minutes
Round 3-7: 5 minutes
What happens if a team fails to make the pick in time?
If a club doesn’t submit its pick before time expires, the next team on the board goes on the clock. The organization that ran out of time is allowed to turn in its pick at any point afterward, however.
Though this is a rare occurrence, it has happened a couple of times in recent memory. The Baltimore Ravens ran out of time in the 2011 Draft and were skipped before selecting cornerback Jimmy Smith. The Minnesota Vikings also missed their deadline in 2003.
What happens in the event of a trade?
After both clubs approve a trade, the team that receives the pick can make its selection in the amount of time that’s remaining on the clock. This isn’t all that big of a deal, considering the team making the trade presumably knows which player it’s going to choose.
What is the process for turning in a selection?
Executives from every team sit in their own “war room,” which is comprised of the general manager, coaches, scouts and even owners in some cases. Once a decision is reached on which player will be selected, the GM -- or somebody else in the “war room” -- places a call to one of their club representatives who’s sitting in the main ballroom. From there, a card is filled out with the name of the player, his position and college. The card is then turned in to the commissioner, who announces the selection -- and hopefully doesn’t butcher the player’s name.
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