NFL Draft 2011: 10 Reasons We Love the NFL Draft
America loves football.
Last year an average of 8.3 million people watched the NFL Draft, but overall 23.3 million people tuned in for at least part of it.
Think about that. The NFL draft isn't even a game. There are no plays, no big hits and no touchdowns scored.
Yet there is still plenty of action, and your favorite team is guaranteed to be involved.
Here are 10 reasons we love the NFL Draft.
10. The Guys Happy To Be Drafted
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These players have essentially just won the lottery.
So the tears, smiles and overall joy are all understandable.
Seeing a guy happy to join your team is awesome, and you just hope he is a competitor.
9. The Dropper
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Every year this a guy who drops way further in the draft than he is supposed to.
After a while, it becomes a game to see how far they can go.
The only person who seems more shocked than you is the player who is dropping, and of course ESPN is there to catch every grimace as another team passes on them.
It's hard to feel bad for them, since they're getting millions of dollars regardless, and it provides a little excitement.
8. The Unknown
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It seems like every year, there is one high profile quarterback who can conceivably be drafted anywhere.
As we all know, being an amazing college quarterback doesn't translate to being good in the NFL.
Troy Smith and Tebow are examples of quarterbacks who were projected to go anywhere from the first round to the seventh round by various people.
Smith went in the fifth, while Tebow went in the first.
Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett, while projected by most to go in the first round, have been slated to go in a wide variety of draft slots. They could be this year's guys to watch.
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.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. The Busts
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If you aren't sure, that's a picture of Ryan Leaf.
This is something you won't be sure of for a while, but there are always plenty of busts.
It's not something you want to see happen to your team, but love when it happens to your team's arch nemesis.
Everyone likes to see the mighty fall once in a while.
6. The Steals
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OK, so this is another one you won't find out about for a while.
But who doesn't love being able to tell fans of other teams that one of your best players was drafted in the fifth, sixth or seventh round?
Sometimes a steal doesn't even have to be a late round pick, but just someone who people doubted, like a Tim Tebow who over-performed in his rookie season.
Regardless, sometimes a steal is more fun than a surefire pick.
5. The Trades
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Hearing that a trade has been made is always interesting.
It means that a team is desperate to get a certain player, and you can't wait to find out who that player is, especially if your team is the one that traded up.
Or if your team was on the other end of the trade, you're interested to know what player, additional picks or compensation you are getting for giving up your pick.
4. Watching Your College Team's Players Get Picked
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If you follow a college team, then you want their players to do well even after they graduate.
What better way to do well than being drafted?
The more players that are drafted and the higher they are drafted, the more bragging rights your college gets.
Having success in the NFL helps with those bragging rights as well.
3. The Fan Reactions
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There are three main types of fan reactions: joy, stunned silence and anger.
Sometimes you'll hear the reaction before you see it. Other times, the camera will tell the story first.
Every pick has a reaction, but if it's not your team, you're hoping to hear the boos.
2. The Top Five Picks
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Even if your team doesn't have a top pick, it is always interesting to see who scouts determined to be the best players.
Last year there was great speculation about whether Ndamukong Suh or Sam Bradford would be taken first.
This year Andrew Luck is seemingly cemented into the No. 1 spot, but who knows? Even if he does go first, the next few picks are seemingly in question.
Everyone loves to see where the stars end up.
1. Watching Your Team Pick
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The second your team is on the clock, the excitement is hard to contain as you watch ESPN flash shots of players whose cell phones began ringing when your team's name was announced.
Which one are they taking? Is your team about to draft the next big star, or the next big bust?
Every fan has his guess and preference, and finally finding out who is picked will either result in elation or disappointment.
But nothing about the draft is more fun than the speculation that occurs while your team is drafting.
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.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
