When it comes to reporting the NFL Draft, tearing up the script becomes part and parcel of the job

After the first unexpected pick, reporters and team executives alike are forced to adjust, interpreting a previously inconceivable situation

An astonishing 200,000 people descended on Broadway in Nashville in anticipation of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft last Thursday. What was once a dull administrative affair has blossomed into a carnival-like atmosphere.

“The big game” excludes 30 of the 32 teams in the league, but last week was more inclusive, as fans from every team arrived to consume large quantities of beer and Nashville hot chicken.

A sense of mystery surrounds the three-day event, with last year’s most inept side the Arizona Cardinals being granted the number one overall pick, enough to mollify a fan base that was disenchanted months before.

Their hope and saviour is Kyler Murray, a diminutive, electric quarterback. Before his big moment, the media mixed with this year’s draft prospects on the red carpet, which doubled up as a fashion show catwalk, with Murray wearing a Great Gatsby-inspired pink suit.

Murray’s ascent to the big league is well documented. Fans are accustomed to his prowess in one of sport’s most iconic positions, but other players are less celebrated. This is where the NFL – and the media – have revolutionised the fan experience, with thousands of hours of preparation to deliver concise summaries, highlights and backstories about your team’s next big thing.

The beauty of the event is the raw emotion on display. There’s no filter as we watch dreams become reality, with a camera always close by. Most draft picks are hunched over in the green room as they receive a call from a team executive before tears flow uncontrollably.

Reporting on the event can offer a similar journey to that experienced by the executives in what is known as the “war room”, as they make the selections which could make or break their team. When the script is inevitably torn up after the first unexpected pick, journalists and team managers alike are forced to adjust, interpreting a previously inconceivable situation.

That moment happened just 30 minutes in on Thursday.

Hundreds were glued to an enormous screen inside the media tent alongside the Cumberland river; and we gasped in unison as the New York Giants selected quarterback Daniel Jones. Castigated for days since, the decision beautifully illustrated why the draft is so thrilling, validating the NFL’s decision to showcase the event. Imagine British football’s summer transfer window, boiled down to a three-day period and the beautiful chaos that would ensue.

Nothing was actually decided last week, with the first game months away; yet thousands were left furiously debating the intricacies of each decision, as every other sport enviably looked on.

Yours

Jack Rathborn

Sports journalist