ESPN’s NFL draft coverage will be missing a familiar voice on Thursday night. The 2017 draft will be the first in nearly three decades without longtime analyst Chris Berman behind the broadcaster’s desk.
Why isn’t Chris Berman on ESPN’s NFL draft coverage?
For the first time since 1987, Berman won’t be calling the NFL draft.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Berman was best known for his NFL coverage as the host of programs like Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, and NFL Primetime. While he still has a reduced role with the company, the ESPN fixture stepped down as the network’s NFL lead after Super Bowl 51.
The network announced he would miss this year’s coverage in a statement released in January.
Berman will make appearances on-air and will also serve in public-facing roles on behalf of the company, stepping away from his longtime position as the face of ESPN’s NFL studio coverage, NFL Draft and Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.
Berman will continue to host ESPN’s NFL PrimeTime highlights show from the field after the Super Bowl as well as the NFL Conference Championship games. He will also offer opinion and perspective on historical events in the NFL, including still appearing weekly on Monday Night Countdown. In addition, he will handle play-by-play for ESPN Radio during the MLB Divisional Playoffs and participate in ESPN’s annual ESPYS Awards.
He’ll be replaced in Philadelphia by another former SportsCenter anchor Trey Wingo.
Wingo’s first draft will be the first to take place in Philly. The league moved the event from its traditional New York City home for the first time last spring when Chicago played host. This year, the NFL Draft Theatre at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be the backdrop for all 253 selections.
Wingo’s duties will cover all seven rounds of the draft, stretching from Thursday evening into Saturday. Though Berman won’t be there, another NFL draft constant will; Mel Kiper Jr. will be there all three days to share analysis and break down picks for the network. The pair will be joined by former NFL coach Jon Gruden, Louis Riddick, and Todd McShay throughout the proceedings.
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