The NFL Draft has undergone several changes in recent years, but the most drastic change yet could be on the horizon.
Pro Football Weekly reports that some NFL insiders may want the NFL Draft to move from its traditional late April date to late-February. The rationale would be to have the Draft take place before the start of free agency.
Such a move would also place the Draft in a “relatively dead time in the sports calendar ? before college basketball?s March Madness or baseball?s spring training and well before the NBA or NHL playoffs begin.”
Last year, the first day of the Draft aired directly opposite baseball on FOX, an NHL playoff game on NBC, and an NBA playoff double-header on TNT. While ESPN’s first round coverage easily beat each of those events in the ratings, it is likely that the Draft lost some potential viewers to the competition.
Any change could be announced during the NFL owners meetings, which began on Sunday.
