Written by James Buce
Football fans have been waiting for this moment since the New Orleans Saints took the final snap in Super Bowl XLIV. Other fans have been waiting for this moment since their team’s 2009 season ended earlier than expected.
The 75th Annual NFL Draft is Thursday April 22 and marks the highlight of the NFL off-season.
This is the first draft that will be broadcast in primetime live on ESPN. The first round will be on Thursday, rounds two and three will be on Friday and rounds four to seven will be on Saturday.
The NFL wants to cash in on the popularity of the draft and has been pushing the prime-time start since the end of the season.
For regular fans, the Thursday night start does not change anything about the draft, and viewers will be tuning in to hear NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announce the first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
The draft answers all of the questions burning in the minds of fans: Will the Rams select Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick? Where will Tim Tibow be drafted? Will Jerry Jones trade out of the first round again?
Every question leading up to the draft will be answered in one weekend.
Broadcasters have been champing at the bit waiting for all of their predictions to come true.
The day will finally come for Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr., both ESPN draft analysts, to fight out who should be selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round.
The draft has become a staple event in the sporting world but has little significance on the sport itself.
The majority of the players selected will not see the field in 2010, and many will not even play a down of professional football.
This draft will have numerous first round picks that will turn out to be busts and never live up to their potential. There will be players left undrafted after the seventh round that will make a team and become great NFL superstars.
Charles Rogers, JaMarcus Russell and David Carr were top picks in their respective drafts and all have had disappointing careers.
On the other side, there are players like Kurt Warner, two-time MVP; James Harrison, 2008 Defensive Player of the Year; and Tony Romo, a two time Pro-Bowler, none of whom were drafted by an NFL team.
The draft is far from an exact science, and teams know that when selecting players. There are no risk-free picks in the NFL Draft, but that does not stop teams from stockpiling picks in order to get that one gem.
April 22 will mark the 75th Annual NFL Draft, and though the selections are not going to be perfect, fans will still watch with bated breath as their team is on the clock.
