How to declare for the NFL Draft?

NFL draft, or an Annual Player Selection Meeting, is a midway period after the end of the Super Bowl and before the start of the training camp. The second commissioner of the NFL, Bert Bell, who believed in levelling the playing field for all NFL franchises, paved the way for the first ever NFL draft to take place in 1936. The 2025 NFL draft will be the 90th edition of this three-day mega-event. New York City has had the privilege to host this event the most number of times.

The 2025 NFL draft will see Green Bay, also known as Titletown, become host for the first time ever. Lambeau Field, the home stadium of the Green Bay Packers, and its adjacent Titletown District is where the draft will be held. The Tennessee Titans, who finished with the worst record in the 2024 season, will be called onto the stage to select the 1st overall pick, while the defending Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles will be the last team pluck a player out of college on Day 1, as of April 9, 2025 (no tarde scenarios included).

How to declare for the NFL draft?

There are two ways that college players can be eligible for the NFL draft. The first way is if they have exhausted college eligibility before the start of the next college football season. As for underclassmen and players who have graduated early with college eligibility remaining, they need the NFL’s approval to enter the draft early, and for that, they need to send a request to the league. The confirmation of which players are eligible for the draft is in the hands of NFL Player Personnel staff members who run a background check with NCAA compliance departments at schools across the country to verify information about all prospects (via NFL Operations).

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft or submit a petition is on January 15. However, players who appear in the College Football National Championship get extended time to declare for the NFL draft. The final list of underclassmen who have been approved for entry by the NFL is released to the 32 teams later on (via the NFL’s official website).