The 2026 NFL Draft starts on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh, and just as it always is, it’s going to be some of the most boring television of the year.
That might sound like sacrilege, because the NFL is beyond criticism for many sports fans, but the draft is the ideal example of what the league has become and the importance of gambling to modern audiences.
For most “sporting events” there’s some assumption of competition, a reasonable belief that there will be action once every 20-30 seconds, and something worth watching in person.
The NFL Draft is none of those things.
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Instead, we’re “treated” to a three day-long press conference, stretched out beyond any and all possible justification in order to get television ratings. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks out, gets booed, rinse and repeat. And the fact that people pay money to stand around for four hours, or more, to watch a press conference is a remarkable testament to sports fans’ willingness to be bored as long as football is tangentially involved.
NFL Draft is an overblown mess
One of the simplest ways to understand how absurd the NFL’s dominance has become is that nearly 14 million people tuned in to watch the draft in 2025. Hours upon hours of “analysts” repeating themselves with every player.
So and so has a great “wingspan.” This player runs a good 40-yard dash. Another one put some quality reps on “tape.” Such and such has a high “motor.” It’s mind-boggling that 14 million people are willing to subject themselves to this, all while claiming other sports are “boring.”
This is one of the most watched television events of the year. To see players announced and introduced after 10 minutes of pointless waiting and camera shots of team executives sitting around a table looking at laptops before clapping after every decision.
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It’s abundantly clear that gambling plays a huge role in this, as prediction markets and widespread sports betting apps have made anything “exciting” because there’s money involved.
Then there’s the other side of it, while many NFL draft picks do pan out, even in the first round, there’s a significant number who never pan out. In the 2021 NFL Draft, for example, five years later, busts include Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones, Jaycee Horn, and Caleb Farley. There were stars to come out of that first round, like Ja’Marr Chase and Micah Parsons. But again, this is the first round. Not the second and third day. Second and third day! My goodness. 257 picks, and it takes three days, an endless slog of interminable hours to get through. How does anyone tolerate this?
The NFL Draft is the best example of how the league has weaponized the importance of gambling to become the country’s most popular sport. More people will watch a press conference, because they have money on it, than a playoff game in another sport where things actually happen and there are important stakes.
We don’t have to pretend the draft is worth watching. We just don’t. You can follow along on a website while watching actual sports. Or doing literally anything else. And you’ll have the same experience, while avoiding the boredom and repetition of the worst “sporting event” of the year.
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