Among the many differences for the draft this year will be the clothing.
Multiple prospects said this week on #PFTPM that, for the stay-at-home draft, they won’t be wearing suits. TMZ.com takes it a step farther, explaining that the NFL isn’t asking the players to wear their Sunday best on Thursday or Friday night.
“It’s up to the individual players,” an NFL spokesperson told TMZ.com. The story also includes quotes from unnamed tailors (anonymity is a bit odd in this context) regarding the fact that their services weren’t needed by high-end NFL draft picks this year, and regarding the reality that there would have been no way to personally tailor the suits, anyway.
That doesn’t mean that there will be no dress code of any kind, however. A recent memo informed players that there can be no logos or brands other than NFL teams or league partners (Nike, Adidas, UnderArmour, New Era). Also, clothing worn by prospects is “expected to be clean, free of liberal or hate speech, and cannot make a political statement,” with no “[r]eferences to alcohol, drugs or gambling (including poker).”
So the official dress code is casual, with an asterisk. A different kind of business casual; the kind that is intended at protecting the NFL’s business interests.