The Best Day

In just less than 32 hours, the 2011 NFL Draft will be underway. It’s more exciting than Christmas and creates more drama than Jersey Shore. Ever since the college football season ended in January, over 300 players have been training nonstop for this very day. All aspects of the players have been carefully scrutinized by hundreds of scouts: from the height, weight, and speed of the players to the concern over a missed tackle during their high school years. These scouts are assigned the duty of dissecting every player in attempts of determining which athlete would fit best with a certain team. The draft is a time where NFL teams could select that one player who helps lead the organization to the Super Bowl, or it’s a moment where a player could be selected and paid millions only to never produce and live up to expectations, thus being labeled a “bust”. The excitement for me comes all throughout the draft. For so many players, their NFL careers begin on draft day and many of their lives change as well. There are no guarantees on draft day – Most organizations keep their draft information strictly confidential and the “draft plans” typically do not leave the coaches offices. The media and big-time fans try their own hand at “mock drafts”, but none have ever been close to correct. Predicting the first round of the draft correctly is like correctly predicting the entire March Madness tournament bracket. There are many aspects that make it impossible to predict the first round. One reason is that there are many trades that occur in the first round. Team’s move in and out of draft spots in order to trade up for a player, or trade down if they feel a player is not worthy. Another aspect is that there are many players’ scouts have graded higher or lower than the average fan. Many issues can lower a player’s stock such as medical, legal, or personal problems. This entire process is what makes the draft so exciting: the uncertainty that lies ahead. You can never be sure what is going to happen or what is about to happen; all you can do is simply watch and enjoy this exhilarating event.