As long as there are only seven rounds in the draft and just 32 NFL teams, it seems a good bet that multiple underclassmen will go unselected in any given year. The competition for jobs in pro football’s premier league is just too strong.
As The Associated Press noted in a story published this weekend, 39-of-102 early entrants for the 2014 NFL Draft were not selected. Former Browns G.M. Phil Savage, who is now the executive director of the Senior Bowl, suggested to the AP that moving back the early-entry deadline from January 15 to February 1 would give players a chance to get more information about their draft positioning.
“If it’s not high enough, the player would still have the chance to go back to school for spring practices,” Savage told the AP.
This would be a logical move, especially with the draft no earlier than late April and also with college bowl season stretching farther and farther into January. Giving underclassmen more time to make a major career decision seems appropriate for all parties.