As little as a few years ago, teams would love to stock pile mid to late round picks. They did so because they knew there was value and talent to be found.
Maybe these guys decided to come out early so they could get in the NFL. Well, that has changed now. Over the past several years, more and more collegiate players are in the NIL.
NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) in college sports allows student-athletes to monetize their personal brand through endorsements, sponsorships, social media, and autographs, thanks to 2021 NCAA rule changes. Athletes can partner with brands, create merchandise, and host camps, shifting away from previous restrictions that prohibited compensation. Key benefits include financial gain, building professional skills, and leveraging personal brands.
(NCAA.org)
What this means is that players who would use to come out and enter the draft are deciding to remain in school. So that potential blue chipper of next year’s draft that used to come out early realizes he can make more money by staying in school, so why come out. In addition, a 4th or 5th rounder this year could stay in college and come out next year and be the same or better.
Essentially, there is no rush anymore to get paid because they already do. Some GMs are aware of this already as you see them trade 3rd and 4th round picks with ease. However, those receiving those picks obviously have not caught on. Or, they are a bad team, just needing to take a swing on someone hoping to get a hit.
It will be interesting how the league addresses this going forward. The NFL takes pride being the #1 show in the country. Its a year-round season now, and they love it. The draft in Pittsburgh had over 320,000 fans attend. I doubt they want NIL affecting attendance and ratings. They will do something about it for sure.
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