All 32 teams will participate in a mock draft to test the technology

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This year’s draft will be conducted remotely, and some teams have expressed concerns that technical difficulties could result in an inability to submit picks, contact other teams about trades, or otherwise conduct business as usual. So a practice session has been planned.

All 32 teams will participate in a mock draft, with general managers and league officials all set up at their home offices to oversee the technology and make sure it functions properly, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

NFL general managers aren’t necessarily the most technologically adept people, so it isn’t surprising that they’re going to need some practice to feel confident they can do it right on draft day.

The draft starts two weeks from tomorrow, so the league has two weeks to make sure everything is up to speed.

32 responses to “All 32 teams will participate in a mock draft to test the technology

  1. A lot of the GMs are not adept at drafting players, let alone being technically adept.

  2. I can only imagine who will be blamed if there is a glitch in the real draft

  3. Each team will have a HS or college kid to help with the technology. Those will be interesting stories

  4. I’d love to know what platform they’re going to use for this. Will be interesting to see

  5. Now when TB picks a kicker in round 1 they can blame the tech instead of their GM.

  6. marcaake says:
    April 8, 2020 at 8:21 am

    They should air the mock draft on ESPN; I’d watch it.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Totally, especially if it was a re-do of last year’s draft. GMs, using 20/20 hindsight to make themselves look better, while not realizing history is a cruel mistress? I’m all in!

  7. patriotmaleorgy says: I imagine Belichick will be more than just testing for a mock draft.
    —————-
    20 years of pain, and all the dehydration and salt loss, will make the imaginary appear real.

  8. > i can’t wait for the denial of service attacks.

    Possible, but hard to find the right places to attack. On the other hand, it would be relatively easy for a worker at at telecom company to mess with internet connections. Look someone up in the database, change the parameters on their line …

    Even if everyone has redundant connections (cable and cellular for instance), I expect challenges. I wouldn’t be surprised if teams are hedging their bets. Something like having people “work from home” at their team facilities or literally provide IT people to the actual homes of key people during the draft.

  9. What names will they draft? HOFers? Last year’s picks? Random names? Just curious.

  10. Lets hope all the GM’s & Coaches of other teams are as paranoid & mentally owned as one of the posters above in regards to BB & the Patriots that they are so focused on them that a key player falls to the Pats in multiple rounds & the Pats win the Draft & make it to the SuperBowl with a 4th round QB in his 1st year as a starter…..
    Heads all over the world would be exploding!!! Lol
    Go Pats….Decade #3 of dominance coming up!!!

  11. I don’t think the NFL is stupid enough to show a mock draft.
    That would give hackers a way to breach the draft. And I’m guessing hackers are bored at the moment.

  12. If they do pick available college players during the mock draft, that could reveal their true intentions before the real one.

  13. steaksandwichandsteaksandwich says:
    April 8, 2020 at 9:35 am
    What names will they draft? HOFers? Last year’s picks? Random names? Just curious.

    ———

    Gritty McGritterson with the 3rd overall pick.

  14. At first I was thinking that this would tip GMs’ hands, but they can just use last year’s pool of players as a test for the mock draft. That would be interesting, actually, as a do-over draft.

  15. The backup system will be text messaging. Teams will just send in their picks via text message.

  16. I would buy a pay-per-view just to watch Jerry, his cell phone and a big bottle of Johnny Walker.

  17. My guess is the Bengals make their 1st pick, get bored, put it on autodraft and as a result will end up with a kicker in round 4. They are just ‘that guy’.

  18. I’m pretty sure this mock draft is about testing the technology, not actually trying out their actual picks. They will just use placeholders or last year’s draft class or something. Teams aren’t that dumb to just start tipping their picks.

  19. With the 26th pick in the first round, the Minnesota Vikings select Manti Te’o’s girlfriend.

  20. How do you do that without tipping your hand
    —————————————

    You use last year’s draft and players. No team will try to get the players that they want this year in a mock draft.

  21. But has technology figured out how to show Roger virtually hugging all the drafted players?

  22. The last time I used autodraft CBS Sportsline drafted me five quarterbacks AFTER I drafted Peyton Manning.

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