With the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing, both leagues hosted their respective “Draft Lottery” for the unfortunate teams who aren’t participating. After the “shocking” development of the Dallas Mavericks and New York Islanders getting the ultimate prize, the focus quickly switched. The question became, should the National Football League adopt the Draft Lottery concept? It’s an interesting idea, but does it really work for the “King of Sports?” We saw that Major League Baseball recently copied the NHL and NBA with their own form of the offseason lottery. With the other three major sports leagues moving to this system, should the NFL follow suit?
Why The NFL Should Avoid a Draft Lottery?
Everyone knows that the NFL is the “King of Professional Sports.” So why change the formula? Draft Lotteries work in the other major sports to avoid tanking. These other leagues also play 65 or more games than the NFL. So, a long, grueling season for a noncontender could turn into a tanking situation. This concept is perfect for the NBA, where you may only have a few real superstars at the top of the draft. Often, guys selected outside the top 10 don’t make much of an impact. The NFL is different. Teams find talent throughout the seven rounds of the draft. Also, with a 17-game season, the win-loss margins between teams are a lot smaller.
We just witnessed the Dallas Mavericks, with a 1.8% chance, win the opportunity to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg. It’s quite the coincidence that the team that butchered the Luka Doncic deal to LA, moved up eleven spots to get the number one pick. The fact that the NBA does not televise the actual picking of the “ping pong balls” opens up the door for conspiracy.
Sports thrive on storylines, but this is one the NFL should avoid. The NFL mimics the fact that people are convinced there is an “NFL Script” for the season. However, many people believe that is the case. Why open the door for more possible conspiracies against the league after what could eventually be a “rigged” lottery?
The Reason the NFL Doesn’t Need a Draft Lottery
This may be the closest the league has ever come to having all 32 teams with their franchise quarterbacks or invested in the guy who they believe could be their future. If you asked 32 General Managers, what is the one position you would consider tanking for, their answer would be quarterback. History will also show that most successful starting quarterbacks are not drafted number 1 overall. Usually, bad football teams aren’t tanking; nine times out of ten, they don’t have good quarterback play.
The only reason the NFL would consider implementing a lottery is to generate yet another source of revenue. And do they really need it? I mean, look at the amount of money and hype surrounding the schedule release. Did I like some of the videos? Of course they were entertaining but still it’s the freaking schedule. Not a game, a SCHEDULE! Keyshawn Johnson should be screaming, “C’mon, Man!” Sometimes, less is more, and this would be the case.
Final Thoughts
Imagine being the New Orleans Saints or an “Aaron Rodgers-less” Pittsburgh Steelers fan this season. Mike Tomlin will most likely be around .500, but that’s what he does. These two franchises are in dire need of a quarterback and have the possibility of being near the top of next year’s NFL Draft. In a lottery situation, both of these teams could be screwed on potentially drafting a generational type QB in Arch Manning.
Again, this would not result from tanking, but because most bad teams either have inexperienced or bad quarterback play. Being at the top of the draft can even out the playing field and help bad teams improve. Not many teams, coaches, or general managers have the strategy to tank for an offensive lineman or edge rusher. It will take one time where an undeserving team will receive the number one pick in the draft for fans to go ballistic. But hey, they will still watch, who am I kidding?
