The NFL Draft is one of the most anticipated events in American sports, with this year taking place from Thursday, April 24 to Saturday, April 25 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 2025 NFL Draft will be memorable for every football fan, but the deep history of the event is also very memorable.
The draft began in 1936, when NFL team owners wanted a more favorable way to share new talent. Before the draft, the richer teams would always get the best college players, leaving the weaker teams behind, However, Bert Bell, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, suggested a new draft system. His idea was to have a draft system where teams would select players in reverse order of how they finished the previous season, which allowed struggling teams to get the first pick.
The first draft took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. At that time, there were only nine teams in the NFL industry. The first-ever pick was Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago and the first Heisman Trophy winner. Interestingly, Jay Berwanger never actually played in the NFL. He declined the offer due to the low salary offer by the Philadelphia Eagles. He ended up founding a successful rubber company.
Over the decades, the NFL Draft has become a massive televised event, with millions of fans watching around the world. Today, the draft is not just about picking players, it’s about strategy and building the team’s future. The draft is a celebration of the achievements players have made in college and their journeys toward fulfilling their dreams of playing in the NFL.
