The NFL Draft is a spectacle like none other. Even before reality television, the seven-round televised event remained the single best real-time reality show in sports and entertainment. No script, all drama. However, despite the many advancements ESPN has made with its presentation, the age of social media continues to add a layer the league and its network partners loathe.
Pick tipping is real. It’s a disease that spoils narrative and eliminates surprise. However, without social media, the NFL Draft is not nearly as popular as it has become. One giant reality show social experiment where everyone is an expert and has a hot take.
That’s why I appreciate insiders like ESPN’s Peter Schrager and others who have pleaded in previous years to put down the phone. It’s a delicate balance for the league to manage. An ironic one, too, with figures who break news on social media serving as messengers urging restraint from that same space—especially when the corrective course sits within the league’s control.
I’ve been part of local NFL Draft broadcasts, both on-site and in-studio. No other event leads to more browser refreshing than the NFL Draft. There’s a constant search to see which “insider” is tipping picks year in and year out.
Information equals engagement in a click-like-and-subscribe culture driven by social media. Want more followers? Use the access you have to boost your social presence over a three-day period. Everyone is a source, but the information ultimately spreads the same way.
Broadcasters Need Pick-Tipping
For broadcasters and creators, timing is crucial. Those in control rooms often have a lead on which production piece to cue once Commissioner Roger Goodell finishes speaking. The massive volume of pre-produced highlight reels and graphic packages—assembled over months—becomes difficult to execute cleanly without notice.
Without that heads-up, broadcast execution risks becoming clunky, and mistakes can occur. Even with the greatest reality show in sports, networks and local broadcasters still strive for flawless execution.
On-site, the challenge intensifies. Hosting an NFL Draft broadcast while carrying knowledge of more than 270 prospects is impossible. Any small tip or confirmation that a team is—not could be—selecting a certain player helps broadcasters shine and earn credibility with audiences in real time.
Tipping picks isn’t just about spoiling the spectacle; it also helps broadcasters and networks prepare.
“There is no valor in spoiling an NFL draft pick,” said ESPN’s Peter Schrager on his latest Schrager Hour podcast. “Don’t give that joy or that ‘atta boy’ to those that are leaking it beforehand.”
Schrager is simply the latest to echo the call to put the phone down. Yet just two years earlier, on an ESPN alt-cast of the NFL Draft, Pat McAfee’s NFL Draft Spectacular leaned into tipping, revealing many first-round picks ahead of any other program,
If this is such a major concern for the NFL, here’s the fix: don’t reveal the information until Goodell announces it.
Who knew? A simple fix for a complex problem.
If the NFL truly wants the excitement and drama that make reality TV compelling, then go all in on eliminating spoilers. Trust your networks and broadcast partners to work within the information you choose to withhold. Why not even turn that process into a behind-the-scenes documentary for ESPN and NFL Network?
Engagement Is Vital
Is having information ahead of time valuable to broadcasts across the country? Yes. However, if the issue has grown to the point where insiders across multiple networks are telling audiences to put their phones down, is that really the right message?
The NFL should want that engagement on social media. A league driven by fan voices should never tell its audience to stay quiet, sit back, and simply consume the experience.
Even tipped picks from those with league-provided access still generate engagement around an event the NFL has built into a primetime spectacle.
The truth is, you can’t have it both ways.
The NFL has spent decades turning the Draft into a three-day content machine—one built on anticipation, access, and the very information ecosystem it now wants to restrain. You can’t empower insiders, reward scoops, and fuel the social media fire, then act surprised when it burns a little too hot.
Because this isn’t really about spoilers. It’s about control.
If the league wants the moment to belong to the podium, then own it. Close the leaks, tighten the circle, and make the announcement the first and only source of truth. It would be an interesting test to see who truly stands out on broadcasts across the country—and who earns the praise they receive.
However, if the league continues feeding the information economy surrounding the Draft, then pick tipping isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. Lean into it instead of rejecting it.
Maybe, in its own chaotic way, it’s part of what makes the NFL Draft what it is: imperfect, unpredictable, and impossible to look away from—even if you already know what’s coming.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
