The big NFL Draft event set for Las Vegas is not happening. It was one of the first things to go in light of the coronavirus pandemic. They can hold the draft without a live crowd, but there are potentially other issues that had some wondering if the draft would go off on schedule in late April. The answer is yes, as Commissioner Roger Goodell notified NFL clubs today.
NFL Clubs were not allowed to host free agents at the facility but that didn’t stop free agency from going down on schedule. Same goes for draft prospects as teams are not allowed to host any prospects for visits OR visit them. And since there are no pro days, teams will have to rely on game tape, the Scouting Combine, and FaceTime interviews to make their decisions.
Obviously this complicates things for players recovering from injuries such as Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. Considered one of the top QB talents in this draft, but if he can’t work out for teams to prove he is fully recovered from his hip injury, it could potentially scare teams away from spending a high pick on him. He and the teams will have to hope they can get the info they need over video.
For the rest of us, this is great news because it means the mock drafts and speculation won’t be drawn out. There is just under a month until the draft as it is and that’s plenty of time to overanalyze these players.
