NIL Is Shrinking the Draft Pool — And Teams Are Scrambling

Something unusual happened this draft cycle: only 71 players declared as early entries for the 2026 NBA Draft which is the lowest number in years. The reason? NIL money. With college players earning up to $4 million per year at top programs, the calculus of risking a late first-round slot has completely changed. Teams are now scrambling to offer first-round promises earlier than ever to retain top talent in the class. The entire architecture of roster building through the draft is shifting in real time.

The National Football League has released new details about the NFL Draft coming to the city this April, including the first visual renderings of the event setup.

Officials expect the draft to become the largest sporting event ever hosted in the city, with projected attendance ranging from 500,000 to 700,000 fans over the three-day span. The draft is scheduled for April 23–25.

Draft Nation Looks At Pre-Combine Top 5 Running Backs for 2026 NFL Draft

Draft Nation Discusses NFL Draft with James Weaver of Sports Info Solutions