The NFL takes the center stage in sports once again this week with the 88th edition of its “annual player selection meeting.” Or as it’s more widely known, the NFL Draft.
Providing a taste of football with the flavor of hope midway through the NFL offseason, the Draft is more popular than ever. Watching the top college talent go to the worst NFL teams was once a weekend event for football diehards. Now, it’s a three-day extravaganza, running in prime time on Thursday and Friday before finishing up on Saturday. Oh, and for the past five years, the Draft has been televised on three networks: ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
The NFL Draft makes for hours of TV coverage. Thursday night’s first round will likely take four hours. Friday, with rounds 2 and 3, could go for five hours or more. And rounds 4 through 7 will probably last another five to six hours on Saturday, with seven hours of programming scheduled.
Obviously, that’s a whole lot of broadcasting time. No one person will have to carry those hours solely on his or her shoulders, whether on-camera or behind the scenes in production. But most, if not all of that coverage will require an on-screen leader. Pick your metaphorical role: ringleader, conductor, traffic cop, point guard, quarterback, catcher, etc. There are so many factors to juggle that it’s worth asking: Is hosting the NFL Draft the toughest job in television?
So before the long NFL Draft telecasts begin, let’s direct some recognition toward ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, ABC’s Rece Davis and Samantha Ponder, and NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, each of whom is set to host coverage for their respective networks. Respect must also be paid to those who came before: ESPN legend Chris Berman, who kind of invented this role, and his successor Trey Wingo.
(While we’re making acknowledgements, I need to tip my cap to former USA Today producer James A. Brown, who pitched this topic for his new podcast, All of the Above. I let him know I might steal the topic for a column and promised to give him proper credit.)
If “television” is too broad, we can narrow it down to “sports television” to make it easier to digest. Anchoring election coverage on a cable news channel — or even a broadcast network — is surely a grueling, hours-long task.
MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki is probably stepping forward, gesturing toward the hours upon hours he’s in front of that big screen to break down voting results state by state, county by county. Kornacki told NBC Boston that at one point during the 2020 presidential election, he worked in the newsroom for approximately 20 consecutive hours. No disrespect intended toward Greenberg or Eisen, but they’re not at the anchor desk for that long during the Draft.
Yet while Kornacki studies up on voting districts, previous elections, demographic patterns, and county maps, is it the same as becoming familiar with the top (or lower-round) college football prospects and current NFL rosters? (OK, maybe it’s more difficult.)
How about also directing the telecast to a panel of draft experts and analysts, reporters on site and scattered among team headquarters throughout the country for the latest news and trade rumors? Correspondents interviewing newly drafted players (some of whom are at home with family) and leading feature segments on the backstories of these young hopefuls? Keeping track of which undrafted players are still in the green room?
In recent years, there’s also introducing or narrating segments on the host city (Kansas City this year) and the many fans who have come to support their teams in what has become a big live event on site, not just on television?
Of course, the NFL Draft hosts aren’t cramming the night before. They have months to prepare, aided by their regular jobs.
Greenberg stays apprised of the latest NFL news and draft speculation by hosting Get Up every morning and his ESPN Radio show. Davis is on top of the college game by hosting College GameDay, while Ponder does the same with Sunday NFL Countdown.
Eisen surely keeps up more thoroughly with his daily sports talk program that invites reporters, analysts, and prospects on as guests, in addition to his regular NFL Network role. Those duties include hosting coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine which provides a first-hand look at draft hopefuls and access to all of the evaluators and executives who will be selecting those players.
Besides directing traffic, hosting NFL Draft coverage may also require trying to keep viewers intrigued, which isn’t always easy when the big names go early and quickly. As Eisen explained to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch two years ago, “It’s your job as a broadcaster to keep people tuned in once the quarterbacks go off the board.”
As usual, the quarterbacks are the marquee players for the Draft. Four of them are viewed as top prospects. Alabama’s Bryce Young is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud could go No. 2 to the Houston Texans. Depending on trades and preferences, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Will Levis from Kentucky could be taken among the next three selections.
Four quarterbacks gone after five or six picks could wipe out some star power and suspense later on. That could make the hosting job a bit more challenging, even if there are other star players who will make teams and fans happy, such as Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, whose off-the-field issues including reckless driving charges and a poor showing in front of scouts could prevent him from being a top-10 pick.
Greenberg, Eisen, Davis, and Ponder will have a lot of help. Analysts are arguably the true stars of the show, along with reporters, players, coaches, executives, and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell helping to keep the telecast compelling.
But before the 2023 NFL Draft begins, let’s pause for a moment to appreciate those hosting hours (and hours) of TV coverage. This is a studio show on steroids, seriously jacked up. And despite all the preparation, just about anything can happen on live television that can force a broadcaster to improvise and move the show along. Hosting an NFL Draft telecast is not a job for everyone. Those who have done it — and done it well — deserve some praise.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
