How to Get Into the NFL?

If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably dreamed of playing in the NFL one day. But what does it take to actually make it into the league? In this blog post, we’ll explore what it takes to get into the NFL, from playing college football to impressing scouts at the NFL combine.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

In order to become a player in the NFL, you must first be drafted by an NFL team. The NFL Draft is an annual event in which each of the 32 NFL teams selects new players for their rosters. To be eligible for the draft, you must be at least three years out of high school.

There are several ways that you can improve your chances of being drafted into the NFL. First, you can participate in the annual NFL Scouting Combine. The Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase of college football’s top prospects, held every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attendance at the Combine is by invite only, and approximately 337 players were invited to participate in the 2020 event.

Second, you can participate in your school’s Pro Day workout. Pro Days are organized by each individual school to allow their draft-eligible players an opportunity to perform for scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams.

Finally, you can try out for an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. Undrafted free agents are players who were not selected in the draft, but who are still able to sign with an NFL team as free agents. Each year, hundreds of undrafted free agents sign with NFL teams and go on to have successful careers in the league.

What You Need to Play

You need to have some serious skills to even be considered to play in the NFL. Above all, you need to have speed, strength, and agility. You must be able to run fast, hit hard, and change directions quickly. You also need to be able to think fast and make split-second decisions. If you can do all of that, you might have a chance to play in the NFL.

Physical Attributes

In order to even have a chance at playing in the NFL, there are some physical baseline requirements that you must meet. For starters, you need to be tall. The average height of an NFL player is just over 6 feet 2 inches, so if you’re shorter than that, you’re already at a disadvantage. You also need to be fast. The average 40-yard dash time for an NFL player is 4.58 seconds, so you’ll need to be able to run that fast or faster if you hope to play at the next level.

You also need to be strong. The average NFL player can bench press 225 pounds 25 times, so you’ll need to be able to match or exceed that number. Finally, you need to have good jumping ability. The average vertical jump for an NFL player is 28.5 inches, so if you can’t jump at least that high, your chances of playing in the NFL are slim-to-none.

Of course, having the physical attributes necessary to play in the NFL is only half the battle—you also need the skill set required to succeed at the game itself.

Mental Attributes

Playing in the NFL takes a lot more than just physical talent. Players need to have the right mindset in order to succeed at the highest level.

Here are some of the mental attributes that NFL scouts look for:

-Intelligence: Players need to be able to quickly process information and make split-second decisions. They also need to be able to learn and retain a large playbook.
-Mental toughness: Players need to be able to handle the grind of a long season, both physically and mentally. They also need to be able to deal with the pressure of playing in front of large crowds and on national television.
-Leadership: Players need to be able to motivate and inspire their teammates. They also need to be able to set a good example both on and off the field.
-Competitiveness: Players need to have a strong desire to win. They should also be able to handle adversity and overcome setbacks.

Playing Experience

In order to play in the NFL, you will need to have previous football playing experience at some level. High school football is the most common level of play, but players can also come from college football, arena football, and other arenas. The key is that you have played against competent opposition and shown that you have the skill set to compete at the NFL level.

The Process of Getting Into the NFL

Becoming an NFL player is no easy feat. In order to even have a chance at being drafted into the NFL, you must first go through a rigorous process. This process includes playing football at the collegiate level, declare for the NFL draft, and then participate in the NFL Combine. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each of these steps.

Evaluation

The vast majority of NFL hopefuls will never be offered a contract to play professional football. In order to increase your chances of being one of the few that make it, you need to understand how NFL teams evaluate players.

scouts will attend your games and grade you on a variety of attributes, including size, speed, strength, agility, game film, and playing experience. The grading scale is based on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being exceptional and 1 being incomplete or unqualified.

Your score in each category will be totaled to create an overall “grade” for each game. These grades will be averaged over the course of your college career to create a final “draft grade” that will be used by NFL teams to determine if you are worthy of being drafted into the league.

In order to increase your chances of hearing your name called on draft day, you need to understand how NFL teams evaluate players and what they are looking for in prospective draft picks.

Scouting

How does one get into the NFL? Ideally, through the process of being scouted. But, what does that entail?

In order to be scouted, players generally have to go through one of three routes: attending college and playing football there, attending a Pro Day, or attending a Regional Combine.

Players who attended college and played football there will have their game footage sent to all NFL teams by their school’s sports information department. If a team is interested in a player, they will request an interview and an official visit. During the visit, team officials will put the player through a series of tests to evaluate their physical abilities and skills. If everything goes well, the team will offer the player a contract.

Players who did not play football in college can still be scouted via Pro Days or Regional Combines. Pro Days are organized by colleges for their NFL-eligible players and anyone else who wants to try out. Regional Combines are organized by the NFL specifically for players who did not play football in college. These events are open to the public and anyone is allowed to attend.

The hope is that through one of these three routes, scouts will identify players with the potential to make it in the NFL. Once scouted, it’s up to the player to make the most of their opportunity and secure a spot on an NFL roster.

The NFL Draft

The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event in which the National Football League (NFL) teams select eligible college football players. It serves as the league’s most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is that each team is given a position in the draft order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous year, which means that the last place team picks first. From this position, each team can either select a player or trade their position to another team for other draft positions, a player or players, or any combination thereof. The round is complete when each team has either selected a player or traded its position in the draft.

Free Agency

There are three ways for players to enter the NFL: through the draft, as undrafted free agents, or through a mid-season contract signing. The vast majority of players enter the league through the draft, which is held every April. Undrafted free agents are players who were not drafted but who signed contracts with NFL teams in the days and weeks following the draft. Mid-season contract signings happen occasionally when NFL teams have injuries or other needs that they need to fill during the season.

The NFL draft is a seven-round process in which each NFL team select players in reverse order of their won-loss record from the previous season. In total, 256 players are drafted each year. The first round of the draft is televised on ESPN, and rounds 2-3 are televised on ESPN2. Rounds 4-7 of the draft are not televised but can be followed live on NFL.com.

Players who are not drafted but who sign with an NFL team are considered undrafted free agents. Each year, hundreds of undrafted free agents sign contracts with NFL teams. Undrafted free agents have very little negotiating power and usually sign one-year contracts for the league minimum salary.

A small number of player signings happen during the season when teams have injuries or other needs that they need to fill. These contract signings are usually for one-year deals at or near the league minimum salary.

Conclusion

If you have the determination and the talent, then you have what it takes to get into the NFL. Follow our tips, and you’ll be one step closer to achieving your dream.