ESPN Should Shut Up and Actually Cover the NFL Draft

Whoa, did you realize the first two picks in the 2012 NFL draft were both quarterbacks? Yeah, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. I guess one went to the Colts, and then the Redskins took the other. Man, I wish I knew more about those two guys, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and their teams' prospects for the future.

Oh, good! Here is the ESPN NFL draft crew to talk about all of those things throughout the second, third and fourth-through-seventh rounds. I can watch and re-watch every episode of Jon Gruden's "QB Camp" series, and then watch him, live on camera, review and re-review his thoughts and feelings therefrom.

Wait, what was I watching again?

Oh, right, the draft.

The NFL's switch to a three-day format ruined the traditional rhythm of the draft, but ESPN's coverage made the worst of a bad situation.

With the switch to primetime on Thursday and Friday, ESPN and the NFL are trying to draw in even the most casual sports watcher. The glitz and glamor of the first few picks makes for excellent TV, and the first few picks are nearly always college superstars with plenty of name recognition.

But thinking those folks will sit through three hours of the first round and then spend all of Friday night glued to the parade of players they've never heard of is delusional. Catering the coverage to them is not the way to go. 

The draft is ultimately an event for hardcore fans. Though the massive, dedicated following of NFL football has produced millions of "hardcore" fans, most of the draft holds no interest for anyone else. After the first round, anyone still watching live coverage of the NFL draft is doing so to watch the draft.

ESPN continuing to rehash and review the same storylines from the opening hour of the draft for three days is indefensible—especially when those are the storylines ESPN has been beating to death for weeks, if not months.

On January 8th, Adam Schefter reported that the Colts planned to take Luck, and months of endless re-hashing of that choice culminated in the Colts' actual selection. It didn't have to go without mention the rest of the draft, but repeatedly ignoring picks coming off the board in favor of rewinding 36-plus hours is just unforgivable.

ESPN needs to find a way to more effectively cover the draft. Chris Berman is an institution, but Trey Wingo is flatly outclassing him in the later rounds. Berman has to be transitioned to a more ceremonial role.

Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr. provide the analysis fans crave, but too much of it is reactionary—and too much of the time goes to players fans already know well. ESPN's analysts have a chance to turn watching paint dry into a spectator sport again, though, by actually analyzing (and even hyping) late-round picks. Instead, those picks are glossed over by the dozens in favor of hours of so-how-about-that-draft spitballing over the first three rounds.

More of the film breakdown and detailed analysis applied to the second- and third-day prospects will do wonders to inform viewers. By providing context and building anticipation, perhaps the post-first-round picks will finally become an a feature attraction.

Or, at least, maybe ESPN will realize the audience they're serving with their draft coverage isn't the same one they're courting with their regular product.