Every year the thirty-two teams of the National Football League gather in an annual event to recruit new college football players eligible to be drafted. For football fans, this is a much-anticipated event as they get to watch their favorite team make what they hope is a good selection.

Although the most coveted players chosen by the NFL play football at the college level, there are exceptions to the rules. A football player who has never attended college but has been out of high school for at least three years can also be eligible for the NFL draft. Other football leagues like the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League may have players that are also qualified to be drafted.

The draft order is based on several factors. An expansion team is always given the first pick. If there is more than one, a coin toss determines who will pick first. The team with the worst regular season record will be given the chance to make picks in the first round, and the team that won the Super Bowl gets to pick last. There are currently seven rounds during the draft which last several days.

The richest contract is usually given to the first overall pick, although a player's position also determines the salary offered. Quarterbacks are usually the highest paid and will get more money than a defensive lineman or a punter. Rookies that have not been drafted during the event may get signed afterwards as free agents but will not get paid as well as the drafted players.

NFL Draft-Eligible Athletes that attend the draft are required to make picks in their short, allotted times. Teams often negotiate with one another before and during the draft for their right to pick players in any given round or in future drafts. A team that has the first overall pick may offer a contract to a draft-eligible player even before the draft selection begins.

Players are expected to perform drills such as the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, shuttle runs, three-cone drills, and other physical and mental evaluations in front of coaches, scouts, doctors, and general managers from all 32 NFL Draft teams. It is an intense four-day job interview which allows personnel directors to assess the eligibility of the players before the NFL Draft. The athlete's performance during the Combine can greatly affect his draft status, salary, and career.

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