High Schoolers to enter NFL draft???

[crzyjournalist03]

The recent ruling on the Maurice Clarrett lawsuit has overturned several of the NFL's rules about draft eligibility, including one that states that a person must be three years removed from high school graduation before entering the draft. For the first time, high school students may now declare themselves eligible for the NFL just as basketball players do. The NFL has instituted a March 1st deadline for any high school student to declare themselves eligible. They'll have to get paperwork from the NFL and fill it out and have it returned if they wish to enter the draft.

What are your thoughts on this? I don't see it impacting the NFL very much, because I don't see coaches that would be willing to use a draft pick to add an 18 year-old to the roster. I know it happens in basketball, but the draft in the NFL seems to be so much more important and there seems to be much less risk-taking...I think the ruling will impact players like Larry Fitzgerald who can exit school after their sophomore college seasons, but I don't see high schoolers getting picked any time soon.

[sinton66]

There may be a couple of team organizations that would be willing to experiment with it. The Philadelphia baseball team does this quite a bit.
I don't think it will be mainstream, because the draft is too important to the success of an NFL team. I personally wouldn't give up any choice higher than a LAST round pick to even experiment with it. There's just too many good players to choose from.

[PPHSfan]

Even with today's kids being much bigger stronger and faster than as few as ten years ago, the fact still remains that kids (especialy boys) keep growing until at least the age of 22 or later. This is not to say that you keep getting taller until age 22, however you do have several physical changes. You can site all of the big boys that you want to, but in my opinion there is not a 18 year old alive that is ready for the NFL with maybe the exception of a place kicker.

However, if you don't believe me. I am sure someone like a Warren Sapp lined up across from junior for a play or two will change your mind.

There are 340lb lineman in the NFL that can outrun half of the QB's in highschool football. I would hate to see somone with as much talent as say an Adrian Peterson get hit at his tender age by an NFL linebacker that can suit up and run through the Hoover Dam.

<small>[ February 07, 2004, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: PPHSfan ]</small>

[Chupacabra]

Along with the physical aspect of recent high-school graduates nowhere near professional football players, the game itself is so much faster and more developed at the pro level. You hear players all the time citing the hardest change to make from high school to college is the speed of the game, and players going from the collegiate to the pro level say the same thing. A player making the jump straight from high school to the professional level just couldn't handle it.

Could make things interesting though.

[Bandera YaYa]

The whole idea is stupid. Must of been thought up by a man. :mad:

[pakrat]

If the NFL wants to draft high school kids, then they may wind up like baseball with a farm system on their hands. A high school kid better think long and hard about signing papers to go pro because they may be throwing away a chance to develop into the kind of player the NFL wants.
That's best done at the college level. You not only skip the development, you give up an education. (Which probably doesn't mean much to
a lot of boys.)

[sinton66]

They already have a "farm" system, it's called NFL Europe.

[therealbulldogs]

I have an idea for the NFL to determine if a high schooler is physically ready to play in the NFL. You have them stand at the goal line with their back facing the field. At the 10 yard line you line up Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher. You blow the whistle and the kid has to turn around and run straight at the two players. If he lives, then he is physically capable of playing in the NFL.

[PPHSfan]

Apart from the Physical challenge would be the mental challenge.

Can you imagine a kid out of highschool going into the huddle and the QB calls for the ole "42 Philco Double Toothed Backside Proctology Shimmer Fake Left with a Double Half Arkansas Bovine Jelly Roll on TWO..break"

<small>[ February 08, 2004, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: PPHSfan ]</small>

[sinton66]

That's a double lead to the right, correct? :D