80 years ago, the inaugural NFL Draft took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. Some 90 names were written up on a blackboard which the various team executives would then pick from.
The first man drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles was Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago who was widely considered to be the best college footballer in the USA.
Berwanger, however, never went on to play a single game in the NFL. After failing to negotiate a contract with the Eagles, he was then traded to the Chicago Bears. This negotiation proved to be fruitless as well, and instead he ended up accepting a job as a foam-rubber salesman.
To satisfy his sporting itch, Berwanger took up rugby instead, playing for Chicago up until America's entry into World War Two in 1941, when he then joined the US Navy (Coincidentally, on June 4 this year, he will be posthumously inducted into the United States Rugby Hall of Fame in Philadelphia).
While it is highly unlikely that the top pick from this year's draft will end up switching allegiance to America's newly formed PRO Rugby competition, the NFL Draft remains a fickleprocess for the 32 franchises involved in it this year.
An unpredictable exercise
From April 28-30, 253 players will be selected over seven rounds from colleges all around the USA.
Through the draft, the future success or failure of a franchise can be decided, with multi-million dollar contracts being handed out to players before they have even played a single minute of professional football.
Selecting players who will successfully make the leap from college football to the professional level has proved to be a notoriously difficult task. To try and sift through this enormous pool of players scattered across the country, an army of scouts, media pundits, and enthusiastic amateurs spend months speculating on who will be a safe bet come draft day.
Inevitably though, mistakes are often made. Overhyped players are selected high and signed to massive contracts, while future stars fly under the radar and are signed for (relatively) little.
One of the starkest examples of the draft's unpredictability came in 1998, when two quarterbacks were selected in the first two picks of the draft. Coming out of college, both Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf were considered sure-fire prospects. Both were physically similar in stature, and had enjoyed extremely successful college careers. Manning was considered to be a more mature player, while Leaf had more potential or 'upside'.
Peyton Manning retired this year after winning his second Super Bowl, and amassing five NFL MVP awards and 14 All-Pro selections over his 18-year career. After signing a four year, $31 million contract with the San Diego Chargers, Ryan Leaf was out of the league by 2002, notable only for throwing over twice as many interceptions as he had touchdowns.
The class of 2016
In 2016, a familiar scenario is emerging in the lead-up to the draft this week. Once again, it is two quarterbacks who are most likely to be selected with the first two picks of the draft: Jared Goff from the University of California, and Carson Wentz from North Dakota State.
Both players have had considerable success in college, and NFL experts are divided over who will be the better quarterback at the pro level.
Goff is considered to be the safer prospect, having played successfully for three years against strong competition for California – but is not considered to be an elite athlete.
Wentz is a more risky proposition. Although he is bigger, taller, and a superior athlete to Goff, he has not had to face the same level of competition throughout his college career. While mentally and physically he ticks the boxes of an NFL quarterback – no-one knows just how he will cope with the pressure of an NFL environment.
While the level of expectation is not the same as it was for Leaf and Manning in 1998, whoever gets picked will be tasked with the responsibility of potentially leading their franchise for the next 15 years.
No pressure.
Tim Newman lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is a keen sports fan, particularly following Rugby and American Football.
Tim Newman's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/tim-newman.html
