Today, the NFL Draft is a full-blown spectacle—a three-day football carnival packed with red carpets and highlight reels. If that’s not enough, millions are glued to their screens, waiting to see whom their team picks next. But back in the day? It was just a quiet meeting in a hotel, born out of desperation by a struggling team owner trying to level the playing field. Here’s how the NFL Draft went from a smoke-filled room to a can’t-miss primetime event.
From an Idea to an Institution: The Birth of the NFL Draft
The first NFL Draft happened on February 8, 1936, inside a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. The league was nothing like today—just nine teams, barely profitable, and struggling to attract fans. College players got to pick where they wanted to play, usually with the highest bidder. This also meant richer teams in big cities like Chicago and New York always had the upper hand. Small-market teams like the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t stand a chance.
“The NFL draft is in 2 weeks…” pic.twitter.com/D2U1dSRZrR
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) April 10, 2025
Enter Bert Bell, then the Eagles’ owner and the mastermind behind the draft. Tired of getting outbid and outplayed, Bell came up with a simple yet revolutionary idea: what if the worst teams got first dibs on new players? That way, every team would have a fair shot at improving. His proposal was approved at the NFL’s 1935 league meeting, and just like that, the draft was born.
That first draft? Nothing fancy. Nine rounds, 81 total picks, and barely any scouting. No war rooms, no TV cameras, no draft experts breaking things down on air. Just team reps reading names off handwritten lists based on newspaper clippings, coach recommendations, and a whole lot of gut instinct.
The very first pick? Jay Berwanger is a halfback from the University of Chicago and the first-ever Heisman Trophy winner. Drafted by the Eagles, he never played a down in the league—he wanted $1,000 per game, and Philly wouldn’t pay up. His rights were traded to the Bears, but Berwanger still said no. Instead, he chose a career outside of football, but his name still holds a historic place in NFL history.
Sports historian Michael MacCambridge summed it up best: “It was barely more sophisticated than picking names out of a hat.”
Some players didn’t even know they’d been drafted until they saw it in the newspaper the next morning.
From Hotel Lobbies to Vegas Lights: The NFL Draft Evolves
Fast forward a few decades, and the draft began to pick up steam. In the 1960s, the newly formed American Football League (AFL) held its own draft, leading to wild bidding wars with the NFL for top talent. This chaos helped push the two leagues to merge in 1970, and with it came a unified draft, now a cornerstone of NFL operations.
Then came 1980. That’s when ESPN took a gamble and aired the NFL Draft on national television for the first time. People thought it was ridiculous—who’d want to watch a bunch of team executives read names for hours? Turns out, a lot of people. The broadcast gave fans access to their team’s decision-making like never before. And from there, the draft began evolving into something far bigger.
The NFL Scouting Combine debuted in 1982, adding data and structure to the process. Front offices now had 40-yard dash times, vertical leap scores, and Wonderlic test results to factor in alongside game tape.
By the 2000s, the draft was no longer just a league event—it was an experience. Held annually at Radio City Music Hall in New York for nearly a decade, the draft became appointment viewing. And then it went on tour. In recent years, the NFL Draft has hit Chicago, Philadelphia, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and soon, Detroit. Each city treats it like the Super Bowl came to town, and the NFL spares no expense to make it feel epic.
Even the 2020 virtual draft, forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, turned out to be a hit. Roger Goodell announcing picks from his basement, coaches managing Zoom calls with kids in the background—it was different, but fans loved it.
Draft Picks Who Made History
What really makes the draft magical is what happens after those names are read. Some picks become busts, sure, but others become legends. Think of Tom Brady, picked 199th overall in 2000. Or Patrick Mahomes, who slipped to 10th overall in 2017 before lighting the league on fire. These are the stories that keep fans glued to their screens every April.
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Roger Goodell once said the draft is “our version of hope.” It’s true. Every pick is a promise—a shot at fixing a broken team or launching a dynasty. For fans, it’s a reason to believe, no matter how last season ended.
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