Former greats help celebrate influx of talent
Kelly O’Day
PTU editor
In the early days, the NFL draft lasted up to 17 rounds and fans didn’t find out for weeks the identity of their favorite teams’ new acquisitions.
The first draft was held in 1936, and scouts didn’t even enter the equation until 1946. Live television coverage of the draft was instituted in 1980. Commisioner Pete Rozelle didn’t think it would pay off, but gave his approval to a fledgling newbie network called ESPN.
The NFL improved its rating by moving the draft to the weekend, then bumped it to three days, starting on a Thursday, beginning in 2010. Now cities are fighting for the right to host the most popular draft in any professional sport. Lambeau Field is a potential site for the honor in 2019, according to team president Mark Murphy.
This year, the Packers hosted a draft party for Saturday’s 4th-7th rounds at Lambeau Field. Former players Dave Robinson, Jerry Kramer and Gary Ellerson were on hand to give free autographs.
Green Bay selected ILB Blake Martinez (4th, Stanford), DE Dean Lowry (4th, NWern), WR Trevor Davis (5th, Cal) and OL Kyle Murphy (6th, Stanford) on Saturday while fans mingled in the Atrium and 1919 Kitchen and Tap.
The Packers had already picked NT Kenny Clark (1st, UCLA) on Thursday. They traded away their regular fourth-round pick and seventh to move up for OL Jason Spriggs (2nd, Indiana) on Friday before grabbing OLB Kyler Fackrell (3rd, Utah State). Martinez and Lowry were compensatory picks for losing Tramon Williams and Davon House in free agency in 2015.
Everyone is eligible for the NFL draft after they have been out of high school for at least three years.