The incoming class of NFL players has been supplemented by the players who have achieved special entry to the process.
The NFL has announced that 95 players have been granted “special eligibility” for the draft by meeting the (unfair and arbitrary) three-year eligibility rule. Eight other players, including Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (pictured), have obtained degrees despite having college football eligibility remaining.
That’s down one from 2016, but it’s a continuation of a trend that has seen the numbers spike since the NFL adopted a rookie wage scale in 2011. The restricted earnings at the top of the draft create an incentive to get to the NFL and begin the process of putting in years toward the second contract, because that’s where players now get paid in large amounts.