When Can You Declare For The NFL Draft?

If you’re wondering when you can declare for the NFL draft, the answer is that it depends on a few factors. Here’s what you need to know.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is the professional American football league in the United States, consisting of 32 teams. The NFL Draft is an annual event in which NFL teams select new players for their rosters.

Players who have completed their college eligibility are eligible to declare for the draft and must do so within a certain time frame. The specific rules regarding the draft declaration process vary from year to year, so it’s important to be up-to-date on the latest information.

Generally speaking, players who declared for the draft will have their name appear on an official list released by the NFL. Once a player’s name appears on this list, they are considered “draft-eligible”. From there, it is up to individual teams to decide whether or not they want to select that player in the draft.

Thedeclaration process usually begins in late January or early February, and the deadline to declare is usually in early April. The actual NFL Draft takes place in late April or early May.

So, if you’re thinking about declaring for the NFL Draft, be sure to do your research and make sure you know all the deadlines and requirements!

The Three-Year Rule

In order to be eligible for the NFL draft, a player must have been out of high school for at least three years. This means that a player who graduates high school in December of 2016 will not be eligible for the 2019 NFL draft. A player who graduates high school in January of 2017 will not be eligible for the 2020 NFL draft. The three-year rule applies to any player who is attending college, whether they are playing football or not.

The Four-Year Rule

You must be out of high school for at least three years to be eligible for the NFL draft. This means that if you enroll in college as a true freshman, you will have to wait at least four years to declare for the draft. If you enroll in college as a mid-year transfer or a junior college transfer, you will have to wait at least three years to declare for the draft. And if you’re a non-college player (i.e., you did not play football in college), you will also have to wait three years to declare for the draft.

The only exception to the three-year rule is if a player has been out of high school for more than four years. In this case, the player is automatically eligible for the draft.

The Five-Year Rule

The current rule states that players are eligible for the NFL draft if they have been out of high school for at least three years. This means that a player can declare for the draft after their junior year in college or after their senior year, if they choose to wait.

There is an exception to this rule, known as the “five-year rule”. This allows players who have been out of high school for at least five years to declare for the NFL draft. This rule is designed to allow players who have taken a break from playing football (for example, to focus on their studies) to still be eligible for the draft.

Players who are eligible under the five-year rule are known as “redshirt juniors”. They are typically older than other draft prospects, and as a result, they may not be as appealing to NFL teams. However, there have been some successful redshirt juniors in the past, such as Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.

If you’re thinking about declaring for the NFL draft, it’s important to understand all of the rules and requirements. For more information, you can consult with an experienced sports attorney or agent.

The Six-Year Rule

The National Football League (NFL) requires that you be out of high school for at least three years before you are eligible to play professional football. This rule is in place to encourage players to spend at least some time in college before going pro. However, there is an exception to the rule known as the “six-year rule.”

Under the six-year rule, a player who has been out of high school for more than six years is automatically eligible for the NFL draft. This rule was put in place to allow older players who may have played football in other professional leagues (such as the Canadian Football League or Arena Football League) to enter the NFL without having to go through the college system.

Players who meet the six-year rule eligibility criteria will still need to declare their intention to enter the NFL draft by filing paperwork with the league office. The deadline for submitting this paperwork is usually during the first week of January preceding the NFL draft.

The Seven-Year Rule

In order to be eligible for the NFL draft, a player must be three years out of high school. That means a player must have last played high school football at least three years ago. This rule applies regardless of how many years of college football a player may have played.

The seven-year rule is in place to give players who took a year or more off between high school and college time to enter the NFL draft. For example, a player who graduated from high school in 2010 and then redshirted (took a year off from playing) in 2011 would be eligible for the 2014 NFL draft. A player who played four years of college football and last played during the 2013 season would also be eligible for the 2014 NFL draft.

The Eight-Year Rule

In order to be eligible for the NFL draft, a player must have been out of high school for at least three years. This means that a player who graduates high school early, such as in December, can declare for the NFL draft immediately after his high school career ends.

However, players who don’t graduate early and choose to go to college must wait until they’ve been out of high school for at least three years before they’re eligible to declare for the NFL draft. So, if a player goes to college and stays all four years, he can declare for the draft after his fourth year of college (as long as he’s 21 years old by the start of the NFL season).

There is an exception to this rule known as the “eight-year rule.” The eight-year rule applies to players who were drafted out of high school but did not play in the NFL during their first four years out of high school. In this case, those players are eligible to declare for the NFL draft after their eighth year out of high school.

The Nine-Year Rule

In order to be eligible for the NFL Draft, you must have either graduated from high school or be three years removed from your high school graduation date. This rule applies to players who are attending an NCAA Division I or II college as well. However, there is an exception to this rule known as the “nine-year rule.”

Under the nine-year rule, a player who attends an NCAA Division I or II school and then leaves early to declare for the NFL Draft can come back and play at their collegiate level if they do so within nine years of their high school graduation date. So, if a player graduates from high school in 2020 and then declare for the NFL Draft in 2023, they would still be eligible to play collegiately again starting in 2030.

The nine-year rule was put into place in order to give players who may have left school early for the NFL Draft a chance to still come back and complete their collegiate career if they so choose. It’s also important to note that the nine-year clock starts ticking on the date of a player’s high school graduation, not their first date of collegiate enrollment.

The Ten-Year Rule

The ten-year rule was put in place in 1990 and stipulates that any player who has been out of high school for at least ten years is eligible for the NFL draft. This rule was put in place to prevent NFL teams from stockpiling players and to ensure that all players entering the league would have had at least some time to develop their skills.

The rule has had a major impact on the way NFL teams draft and develop players. For example, it has made it more difficult for NFL teams to draft players who are immediately ready to contribute, as they may have already been snapped up by another team. It has also made it more difficult for teams to trade for veteran players, as they would then have to wait ten years before being able to draft them.

Despite the impacts of the ten-year rule, it remains in place today and continues to shape the way NFL teams operate.