The 2025 NFL Draft will see the NFL host its 90th annual selection meeting, and while no media covered the first edition of it, it has now become one of the most watched and anticipated events in the league calendar.
Let’s take a look back at the history of the NFL Draft and how it rose to become a nationally televised event.
When Was the First NFL Draft?
The first NFL Draft was held in 1936, thanks to a proposal from Philadelphia Eagles co-owner and head coach Bert Bell. Before that, players could sign with any team they chose—a system that heavily favored wealthier franchises and left teams like the Eagles struggling to compete for top talent.
To address this imbalance, Bell proposed a new system at the 1935 league meeting: an annual player draft with the order determined in reverse of the previous season’s standings.
His goal was to give less successful and financially limited teams a fair shot at acquiring top players, thereby promoting competitive balance and financial stability across the league. The proposal passed unanimously, laying the foundation for the NFL Draft as we know it.
The inaugural draft took place on February 8, 1936, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. It was a modest affair—just 90 players were eligible, the draft spanned nine rounds, there was no media coverage, and selections were written on a blackboard.
The Eagles held the first overall pick and selected Jay Berwanger, the winner of the first-ever Heisman Trophy. However, Bell was unable to negotiate a contract with Berwanger and ended up trading his rights to George Halas and the Chicago Bears. The Bears also failed to sign him, and Berwanger ultimately chose a different path—working as a foam rubber salesman.
Of the 81 players selected in that first draft, only 24 signed NFL contracts, but it marked the beginning of one of the league’s most important traditions.
Evolution of the NFL Draft
The NFL Draft has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past 86 years. Advances in technology have led to far more sophisticated player scouting, while media coverage has expanded significantly—especially since 1980, when ESPN began broadcasting the event live.
Initially, the draft aired on weekdays, but when ESPN shifted its coverage from Tuesday-Wednesday to Sunday-Monday in 1988, viewership saw a significant boost. By 1993, the network began airing every single pick, further increasing fan engagement and turning the draft into a marquee event on the NFL calendar.
The structure of the draft itself has also evolved over time, with the most notable change being the number of rounds. The inaugural 1936 draft featured nine rounds, which later expanded to 10, then 12, and eventually 22 rounds. For four years, it remained at 22 before jumping to 32 rounds.
In 1949, the draft was reduced to 25 rounds, only to increase again to 30 rounds in 1950—a format that remained in place throughout the decade. In 1960, it was trimmed to 20 rounds, and again to 17 rounds in 1967 following the NFL-AFL merger. The number continued to decrease: to 12 rounds in 1977, eight in 1993, and finally to the current seven-round format in 1994.
The Change In Rookie Wage Scale
Before 2011, teams and players had considerable flexibility when negotiating rookie contracts after the draft. In fact, teams holding the No. 1 overall pick could even reach an agreement with a player before the draft began.
That changed in 2011, when the NFL introduced the rookie wage scale as part of the new collective bargaining agreement. Under this system, the length and total value of rookie contracts are predetermined based on draft position. While teams and players can still negotiate certain aspects—such as the timing of bonus payments—the overall financial structure is set in advance.
The implementation of the rookie wage scale dramatically reduced the cost of top draft picks. For instance, in 2010, No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford signed a six-year, $78 million deal. Just one year later, Cam Newton, also selected first overall, signed a four-year contract worth $22 million—an average annual difference of $7.5 million despite their nearly identical draft status.
The new system introduced in 2011 has rookie contract lengths set at four years, with the first-round picks also given a fifth-year option. The amount of money rookies make has also grown steadily over the years, with this year’s No. 1 overall pick set to have a contract valued at $43,010,000, according to Spotrac. Last year’s first overall pick, Caleb Williams’ contract was valued at $39,486,058.
