Should the NFL move to a draft lottery system like the NBA?
By Adam Carlson
The NFL automatically awards the worst team in the league the number one overall selection in the draft, but should they change it to be more like the NBA?
The last time the Minnesota Vikings selected a player with the first overall pick in the draft, they were able to land legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Ron Yary in the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft.
The fact that the first pick in the draft is so coveted isn’t a mystery. At that point, teams get their pick of the litter when it comes to talent and can have an excellent opportunity to take a player who can help their franchise for a long time, much like the Vikings did in 1968 as well as 1961 when they took running back Tommy Mason.
However, the question of whether or not the draft order should correspond to the poor record of the team is something that has isn’t consistent between sports, especially in the NBA and the NHL where they hold a draft lottery. And experts have debated whether or not a change is needed for professional football.
The benefits and pitfalls of the NFL Draft system
In theory, the NFL Draft system is perfect. Giving teams with worse records the opportunity to select better players would create a more balanced league where even horrible teams would eventually have enough talent to compete with top-tier teams.
The problem is that teams don’t always earn their records. In the past, fans have rooted for their favorite teams to tank games for the opportunity to draft a player they see as a surefire stud in the draft, knowing that it would almost be a lock for the franchise to get a player who could be a generational talent.
A system that benefits from losses once a team is eliminated from playoff contention can be poisonous to other teams attempting to stay in the running. A squad pulling their starters and swallowing their pride can help teams who may not be worthy of a playoff spot sneak in while assuring themselves they get a better draft pick.
Why a draft lottery makes sense
Unlike the system the NFL uses, a draft lottery will prevent teams from assuring themselves one of the top picks in the draft by opening up the top picks to a lottery system. Sure, a really bad record will give teams a great chance at the number one overall selection…but it gets rid of the guaranteed aspect of things.
Of course, this could mess up the balance the NFL has. Awarding the top player to the worst team makes sense and a draft lottery system would likely alter that order, meaning the competitive balance would be off.
Another idea
Find a way to reward teams for wins. The playoffs and Super Bowl are great, but adding bonuses to players on a winning team could make players and coaches less likely to want to rest their best players when out of contention. But yet again, a team may want to tank anyway…and there is really no way to prevent that.
What should happen
For most teams, the draft the way it is for the NFL is fine. Playoff teams and middle of the road squads would still be in decent position following the draft as far as competitiveness goes. The real problem is the bottom third of the league, where tanking is more likely to be an issue.
No system is perfect. The NFL draft system as well as those in the NBA, NHL, and MLB all have their faults. But the idea of opening up the number one selection to all non-playoff teams in a lottery style fashion is something that might encourage teams to be more competitive.
Must Read. Vikings best first round picks of all time. light
The NFL is unlikely to make any changes to their draft system in the future. Also, the Minnesota Vikings are unlikely to be the team with the worst record in the league any time soon. So, at least for the time being, fans should get used to seeing the team draft in the middle of the first round for quite a while.