Gridiron Magazine: Issue XXII

For general managers, it’s a period that brings success or unemployment. For players, it’s the time years of blood and sweat finally yield unparalleled financial reward. For fans, it’s the weirdest of spectator events, with several days spent staring at people walking onto and leaving a stage.

Whatever the draft means to those following it closely, its impact is unquestionable. The decisions made over three days in the centre of the Windy City will determine the shape of the not just the next NFL season, but several beyond it.

If hitting in the draft is like striking lucky on a Nevada slot machine, a ticket into a world that you’ve always dreamed of, then missing is like walking out of a dodgy casino without your clothes or car keys. But how did it become such a high-stakes game of chance? And who’ll hit the right cards this year? In Issue XXII, Gridiron takes an in-depth look at the NFL’s strangest phenomenon.

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Every year, there are desperate teams looking to make a splash at one end of the spectrum and the Green Bay Packers are at the other. – Neil Reynolds assesses different approaches to free-agency.

“The knock has been that I struggled against a weak SEC defense [against Auburn], but if you look at the Ole Miss and Houston games, I think it speaks for itself. There are enough signature performances.” – Paxton Lynch passionately talks himself up to Gridiron ahead of the draft.

“Back in Georgia, before he was old enough to play peewee, he’d carry a football round the whole time. A five-year-old boy so desperate to play the game. ‘Am I six yet momma’.” – Myles Jack’s mum lifts the lid on Gridiron’s number-one rated player.

What happened just before his final game as a Rebel in December last year was the proverbial hand grenade in the War Room. – Simon Clancy digs deep on Robert Nkemdiche, one of the most controversial players in the Class of 2016.

“As the rounds rolled on and my phone wasn’t ringing I started to get a bit nervous.” – David Vobora lifts the lid on the agony of waiting to hear your name called in the draft.

“It’s a bit of fun. A bit of fantasy. But we raise money for charity and we give a kid a good time. It’s a celebration.” – Paul Salata, the man behind Mr Irrelevant, explains the concept to Gridiron.

The draft was the brainchild of Bert Bell, part-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles who later became the league’s commissioner. – Resident historian Iron Mike Carlson discusses the draft’s rich history.

The greatest legacy Manning leaves is the current shape of the game. – Editor Matthew Sherry analyses Peyton Manning’s storied career following his retirement.