There are a number of teams who would prefer to see the NFL Draft postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Denver Broncos general manager John Elway is willing to say so publicly.
Elway thinks the draft, scheduled for April 23-25, should be postponed to benefit teams and give them more time to scout players, though the Broncos are ready to proceed as things stand.
“Really, we feel pretty good about where we are,” Elway told Aric DiLalla of the team’s official website. “We’d rather have it backed up so we can get all our scouts and everybody in, but if it’s limited and we can stay there and they’re not going to move the draft, we’re in good shape. I think that one of the reasons why, with I think the coaches not going to the Combine and them spending the whole week here just on the college side, it’s put us way ahead there because we’ve got the coaches’ rankings already. The scouts are already working on next year a little bit to the 2021 summer manual, so we feel like we’re in pretty good shape. If it moves back, great, we’re ready for that. If it doesn’t move, then we’ll be ready for that too.”
As of now, it’s full speed ahead for the NFL, and they’re aggressively planning a virtual draft to take place as scheduled. That comes despite objections from multiple teams, largely for the same reasons Elway is voicing. Teams can’t visit prospects right now due to travel restrictions, and they’re relying on the work they’ve already done. Most are probably operating the way he is — ready for it to go ahead as scheduled, but hopeful that it doesn’t.
