Roger Goodell Says 2020 NFL Draft Is About 'Hope' Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Despite all the changes occurring in response to the coronavirus, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has a positive mindset going into the 2020 draft, via Peter King of NBC Sports:

"I believe that this draft in particular is about hope. It restores hope for every fan, for every club, for the teams itself in the sense of, 'We have new players coming in. We have new hope. This can turn us around. This can be the answer to get us to the Super Bowl.' Those things I think are really critical in our game, but beyond that I really believe that football does a great job of bringing communities back together again, and giving them a diversion at a time when people are really looking for something positive and looking toward the future, and looking to be inspired."

The draft will begin Thursday on its originally scheduled date, but it will take place in a virtual format with executives making picks from their homes. 

While the draft has been altered, most live sporting events in the United States have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19.

According to CNN.com, over 750,000 people in the country have been diagnosed with the respiratory disease, leading to more than 40,000 deaths as of Monday.

As Goodell noted, the draft can be a "diversion" from the negative news while providing fans something to root for as a group. With each fanbase dreaming of a draft pick becoming a superstar, there could finally be some optimism on the horizon.