The NFL Draft is not just the mechanism by which we select the next generation of football stars—it is also one of the greatest viral content generators in all of sports media.
As each of the 32 teams meticulously curate and craft their rosters for the upcoming season, we as fans are rewarded annually with a new crop of extremely niche memes, endlessly quotable clips, and football-centric inside jokes to reference and regurgitate all season long.
So ahead of 2025's event, which kicks off Thursday, April 24 at 8 p.m. ET, we've collected what we believe to be the 10 best and most viral NFL draft moments of the last ten years, so you can look back and reminisce before we're all discussing the new X and Instagram-fodder that comes from this year’s draft.
To be clear, this is not an analysis of specific picks or reaches for each team; no, we're talking the funny, heartwarming, and downright weird stuff that happens just before, during, or immediately after a player picks up that long-awaited phone call from their new team.
In no particular order, let's get into it.
Bill Belichick's Dog Is a Very Good Boy:
The 2020 draft was a weird one. With the world in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually, forcing coaches and GMs to make their picks from the comfort of their homes. As a result, the whole ordeal produced even more memorable moments than usual, including a very funny clip of Bill Belichick's dog.
At one point during the night, the broadcast cut to a split-frame of Belichick's war room set-up next to that of the New England Patriots' director of player personnel. But Belichick was not in the frame; instead, viewers saw his dog, Nike, sitting attentively behind two open computers and what was surely a slew of draft notes. Making the whole thing even funnier was the "Bill Belichick, head coach" graphic sitting at the bottom of the screen, comically underscoring Nike's surprise cameo. A very good boy, indeed.
Still thinking about how Bill Belichick's dog stole the show at the 2020 NFL Draft 🥺😂 @Patriots pic.twitter.com/kEa5CzLCiR
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) March 13, 2021
Vikings React to Eagles Passing on Justin Jefferson:
Another 2020 gem: The Minnesota Vikings front office was all smiles when they realized the Philadelphia Eagles had passed on wide receiver Justin Jefferson—and that J.Jettas was theirs for the taking (the Birds picked Jalen Reagor out of TCU).
In retrospect, the Vikes' were right to laugh. Jefferson is one of the best wideouts in the league and has averaged a stunning 1,486 receiving yards across five seasons. That said, the Eagles are 2024-25 Super Bowl champions, so things worked out okay in Philadelphia, even if the Reagor pick didn’t.
CeeDee Lamb Grabs His Girlfriend's Phone:
If you watched this go down at home, it was a Rorschach test for your relationship. To paint you a picture: we're back in 2020 (again), and the Dallas Cowboys have just selected wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with the 17th pick. As the cameras cut to Lamb getting the call at home, his then-girlfriend grabs a second phone out of his other hand, which the wideout then quickly snatches back. Why, you may ask? We'll never know ... but we can guess.
George Pickens Stands Weird:
Wide receiver George Pickens was certainly surrounded by excitement when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with the 52nd pick in 2022, but he wasn't exactly jumping for joy himself. Rather, Pickens simply stood in front of his TV, with his body oddly curved toward the screen, and nodded along as his pick was read aloud. Strange, but hey—that's NFL Youngboy for you.
Will Levis Is Sad:
An unfortunate byproduct of the NFL Draft Industrial Complex is that prospects must hear over and over again how they're a first-round or even second-round pick ... only to fall below that threshold when the time comes.
Case in point: Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis, who dropped to the second round of the 2023 draft with the 33rd pick. Prior to the event, ESPN had projected a less than 0.1% chance that the quarterback would not be picked on day one. And when that wasn't the case, we saw a very sad Levis just waiting around to hear his name. Brutal stuff.
Will Levis won't attend Day 2 of NFL draft after falling out of first round 👀 pic.twitter.com/PCSr1ZTxbK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2023
Baker Mayfield Gets Pranked (and Takes a Great Picture):
Not long before Baker Mayfield picked up the call from the Cleveland Browns in 2018, his friend, who was standing just behind him, gave the QB an intentionally poorly-timed ring, spooking an already jittery prospect. The good news is that Mayfield took it well; he had a smile on his face as he turned around to confront the perpetrator. And to further ease the pain, he was the first pick soon after.
Another great moment, courtesy of Mayfield: his recreation of Brett Favre's iconic draft day photo.
Takk McKinley Brings His Grandma Along:
Considering all the lighthearted and funny moments that come out of it, it's easy to forget how much the draft means. Indeed, for those who have dreamt of the NFL their whole life, the draft is when their dream comes true.
As such, it's quite sweet when players take a minute to honor those who helped them get to this point. In one particularly memorable example, Takk McKinley brought a photo of his grandmother with him for his moment in 2017. McKinley promised his late grandma he'd make it to the big leagues—so when he did, he made sure she was with him. The defensive end was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th pick.
Takkarist McKinley brought a photo of his grandmother ❤️ pic.twitter.com/r2PzMtG4Nd
— SB Nation (@SBNation) April 28, 2017
Next stop: ATL ✈️✈️✈️ pic.twitter.com/67B8G2hOUj
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2017
Deuce Vaughn's Dad Makes the Call:
Football is even better when it's a family affair. And if you saw Dallas Cowboys assistant Chris Vaughn call his son, Deuce, to tell him the club was drafting him in 2023, there is just no way you didn't get choked up. Honestly, you'll probably cry watching it back now.
Quinnen Williams Blesses Himself:
New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams wasn't waiting for anyone to help him when he sneezed during an interview at the 2019 draft. Indeed, as soon as he recovered from his bodily interruption, he muttered a quick "Bless you. Thank you," to himself before carrying on with his sentence, as if someone else had offered the gesundheit. Legend behavior.
Isaiah Wilson's Mom Removes His Girlfriend:
Isaiah Wilson's mom took matters into her own hands in 2020 when her son's girlfriend did not get up from the couch at her prompting. She tried nudging the GF once, twice, and seemingly three times, but when that didn't work, she just forcibly pulled the girl up herself. Wilson remained unconcerned.
That's all for now, but Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, April 24—meaning we'll be adding another reference to this continually growing canon in no time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 10 Most Viral NFL Draft Moments of the Last Decade.
