In normal times, the NFL Draft is the perfect made-for-television event, the inevitable byproduct of a made-for-television league. It’s a spectacle that also serves as the unofficial end of the peak of transaction season, giving fans a fuller picture of the league’s landscape for the upcoming season.
These aren’t normal times, however.
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the NFL to leave Las Vegas and host a virtual draft for the first time in its history, forcing teams to adapt their pre-draft strategies on the fly, while fans had to abandon or adjust to all the little conventions that make the annual player selection event — which, if you think about it, should be a dull affair — into must-watch content.