The venue for the 2008 NFL Draft will be the same - Radio City Music Hall in New York City - on Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th. ESPN has the rights to the draft, as they have for 29 consecutive years, and NFL Network will broadcast the event for the third time. Other than that, virtually everything will be different for draft fans.
For instance, the draft will begin at 3:00pm, instead of the long-standing noon-time start. If you're asking yourself, 'but won't that take the draft until the wee hours of the morning?' It shouldn't, not with the new format.
Historically, three rounds are carried out on the first day, but day one of the 2008 draft will only see the first two rounds. Rounds three to seven will be held on day two, and will begin at 10:00am.
Perhaps the most significant change to the draft format is the time allotted for teams to make each pick. Instead of the fifteen minutes that teams have had in the past (in round one), they will only get 10 minutes this year. In round two, they will only get seven minutes compared to the previous allotment of ten minutes. Rounds three through seven will retain the same five minute time slot.
The changes should make for a considerably more entertaining experience for the weekend warrior.
The league will also roll out a new NFL shield logo at the draft; it will replace the one that has been in use since 1976.
The 2008 NFL Draft will have 253 total selections - 221 regular selections and 32 additional compensatory picks. Normally there are 224 regular selections, but two teams made supplemental draft picks in 2007 (thusly giving up their corresponding 2008 pick), and the New England Patriots were stripped of their first round pick thanks to the VideoGate scandal.
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