Get ready for an NFL Draft like no other

Coronavirus has forced America’s biggest sport to think outside the box, but, as Ben Burrows writes, the teams aren’t the only ones having to adjust on the fly

The draft will look a lot different this year (Getty)

This week represents one of tentpoles of the NFL calendar, but this, like every other in these unprecedented times, is no ordinary week.

The coronavirus pandemic has laid waste to sporting schedules with leagues all over the planet forced to shutter their doors and close down operations.

The NFL is no different. Coaches and executives have been banished to their homes, players’ offseason workouts confined to back rooms and front lawns.

But the show must go on. This week was meant to see the NFL Draft, the annual selection of the best college players, head to Las Vegas for the very first time.

A three-day cavalcade of glitz and glamour was sure to follow but the NFL – like everyone else – have been forced to readjust on the fly.

Covid-19 will instead see this year’s draft – which begins on Thursday evening – go completely virtual for the first time ever with all 32 teams taking their pick of the best of the college crop from the comfort of their living rooms.

While teams themselves battle the prospect of cyber security breaches and bandwidth problems, broadcasters too have been thrown into the unknown.

“This is the most complicated event that I have ever been involved with," ESPN producer Seth Markman said recently.

"These are very challenging circumstances but we have a great opportunity here to bring fans across the country a little bit of hope, a little bit of joy and maybe a bit of an escape."

From a once small event the draft has ballooned into one of the NFL’s flagship occasions in recent years with this weekend set to be no different. The entirely on location affair, a collaborative effort between ESPN and NFL Network, will be beamed out in 137 countries to an audience of millions.

With social distancing guidelines making the usual on stage traditions with league commissioner Roger Goodell an impossibility feeds will instead come in from over 200 players all over the United States, many of whom have been sent special build-your-own broadcasting kits with professional cameras and lights so there moment in the spotlight will still be as bright as they’ve always dreamed it would be.

Coronavirus or not, America’s favourite sport remains big business with the first round of the draft routinely commanding more eyeballs than regular season baseball and playoff basketball games.

Of course, there won’t be such viewing conflicts this time around though setting the table for potentially the most-watched draft in history.

“I'm not even going to offer a guess on the ratings," Markman added. "This event usually draws a very, very big audience.

"We were set up for a big ratings year anyway, but given the circumstances, we're just going to wait and see. We're optimistic about it."