The NFL draft is losing importance for a few reasons, not just for the Browns

NIL and the salary cap have, and likely will, impact the NFL draft’s value moving forward

For decades, the NFL draft has been the lifeblood of franchises. While the Cleveland Browns failed miserably in turning things around via the draft, it has long been considered the most important way for teams to build their roster.

It has made a lot of sense. Drafted players are younger and cheaper than veterans.

While those two things are still, mostly, true, it isn’t as universal as it once was when most of the first and second-round picks were 21 years old. This year’s draft class has a ton of players who will be 23 years or older when the 2024 NFL season starts including QB Michael Penix Jr., WR Ricky Pearsall and DT Braden Fiske who are expected to be drafted in the first two rounds.

With COVID-related rules giving players a chance to play longer (coming to an end very soon), Name Image and Likeness pay giving players a chance to make money in college and the unlimited ability to transfer giving players a chance to move around as they please (which includes NIL payments normally), college prospects have less incentive to enter the NFL draft. In 2024, we saw a huge reduction in underclassmen declaring for the draft.

With just 63 underclassmen this year, the NFL draft no longer provides the same young potential it has in the past.

Drafted players are still cheaper than veterans, due to the rookie wage scale, but even that value has gone down due to the huge increases in the NFL’s salary cap. No longer are teams as cashed strapped trying to field a roster with cheaper players.

Former Browns GM Joe Banner shared that thought as the Los Angeles Rams have been a great example of a team that hasn’t valued the NFL draft but has done a lot of winning:

Teams no longer are reliant on draft picks to work out. We’ve seen players jettisoned just two years after being drafted in the first round (Trey Lance, Kenny Pickett) and teams signing veterans to play over drafted players time and time again.

The NFL draft is still important but it is no longer the same lifeblood that it has been for years. Draft classes are older and, assumed, to have lower ceilings than years ago. Rookie contracts, while cheap, no longer are required to fill important roles as the salary cap explosion gives teams options now.

Great teams will still be able to hit on players in the draft but the pivot toward proven veterans and moving on from drafted players will likely continue. That will lead to more trades of draft picks and more fluctuation among rosters.

How will GM Andrew Berry and the rest of the league adapt? We will continue to find out starting in next week’s three-day NFL draft event.

Do you agree with Banner that the NFL draft is less valuable now? Do you think it changes back any time soon with more younger players coming out and/or the salary cap stagnating?