Draft Lottery for the NFL

[DesertSteel]

Do you think the NFL should implement a draft lottery like the NBA? Honestly, the lottery in the NBA generates more buzz than the actual draft. It eliminates tanking and gives every non-playoff team the chance at the #1 overall. How cool would it be for the Steelers to even have a 1% chance at the top pick?

What do you think???

[polamalubeast]

It would be a very good idea..I do not understand why the NFL still has no lottery.

[st33lersguy]

No, the rights to the 1st pick should belong to the worst team. A 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 team has no business going anywhere near the no. 1 pick unless they trade up. Look at the NHL draft where the Chicago Blackhawks finishing 6 points out of the playoffs (equivalent to three wins) get the 3rd pick without giving up anything. That's not a good system

Do you want a scenario where the first year the Pats miss the playoffs after going 9-7, they "luck" into the first pick the same year there happens to be an all-time great prospect coming out? No? I don't either.

[polamalubeast]

No, the rights to the 1st pick should belong to the worst team. A 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 team has no business going anywhere near the no. 1 pick unless they trade up. Look at the NHL draft where the Chicago Blackhawks finishing 6 points out of the playoffs (equivalent to three wins) get the 3rd pick without giving up anything. That's not a good system

Do you want a scenario where the first year the Pats miss the playoffs after going 9-7, they "luck" into the first pick the same year there happens to be an all-time great prospect coming out? No? I don't either.

No, but it's not much better to see incompetent teams or which tank like the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and 2017(100 millions under the salary cap!!!) who are rewarding ..... And it's very slim to win the lottery when you're one of the last ones who miss the playoffs.

[st33lersguy]

No, but it's not much better to see incompetent teams or which tank like the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and 2017(100 millions under the salary cap!!!) who are rewarding ..... And it's very slim to win the lottery when you're one of the last ones who miss the playoffs.

Nba and nhl teams tank anyway, lottery doesn't stop that, might as well stick with the nfl/mlb method

[polamalubeast]

Nba and nhl teams tank anyway, lottery doesn't stop that, might as well stick with the nfl/mlb method

Yes, but at least his teams are not always rewarded.Happy teams like the Suns or the Knicks have not been rewarded.

[Mojouw]

HALF the NBA tanks every year. They’ve changed the lottery rules to stop any other team from engaging in “the process”

If you’re a garbage rebuilding team, tanking is just the quickest path back to not being garbage. Tanking gets you the Browns roster. Farting around gets you the Bills roster.

[polamalubeast]

HALF the NBA tanks every year. They’ve changed the lottery rules to stop any other team from engaging in “the process”

If you’re a garbage rebuilding team, tanking is just the quickest path back to not being garbage. Tanking gets you the Browns roster. Farting around gets you the Bills roster.

Or the Houston Astros in the MLB(Look at their record in 2011 to 2013!!!)

[Mojouw]

Or the Houston Astros in the MLB(Look at their record in 2011 to 2013!!!)

Good example. Teams with strong stable ownership realize that if you need to rebuild a roster top to bottom, losing and accumulating assets to then attempt to turn into elite talent is just the shortest path back to the top.

[FrancoLambert]

No, because it will be rigged in favor of the Patriots.

[DesertSteel]

Nba and nhl teams tank anyway, lottery doesn't stop that, might as well stick with the nfl/mlb method
Yeah and not a one of the worst 3 teams got either the first or second pick. It only gives them a 14% chance with the worst record. As one person said, I get sick of the Browns getting the top picks every year.

- - - Updated - - -

It’s hard to believe all the penis envy of the Patriots around here.

[st33lersguy]

No, because it will be rigged in favor of the Patriots.

Which brings up another problem with the lottery in general, potential for it to be rigged, suits higher up choosing which team they want to a no. 1 pick. It's not a transparent process. Much more transparent simply using record. Plus it is more fair, teams with the worse record who NEED the higher pick and better players get them (yes there is tanking but no system is without flaws) rather than order being determined by lottery balls and a middle of the road team potentially picks higher than the worst team

[86WARD]

There’s no benefit to a draft lottery in the NFL. Very rarely is there one player that every team would covet enough and that would make an impact worth tanking a whole season. NFL is a totally different animal from the NBA and a draft lottery is just not something for the NFL.

[ALLD]

Too much potential for corruption with a lottery, any lottery. Could suppress trades too because of a lack of predictable structure.

[polamalubeast]

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[Born2Steel]

How would that work? Lottery the first round? First 2 rounds? Then go to the traditional order starting at the comp rounds? NO, just let it fall where it falls and trades actually mean something.

[fansince'76]

There's no option for "return the draft to the way it was before Goodell turned it into an overhyped multi-day spectacle in an attempt to maximize profits."

That would be my pick.

[silver & black]

IMO, the lottery doesn't work for the NBA. It would never work in the NFL.

[Six Rings]

I'm a selfish fan, so year me out. The last time the Steeler had the #1 pick was 1970, and we had to win a coin toss to get it! Who was alive to see that? Not me. This team is too well run to " earn " the 1st overall pick; however, a lousy year that would put us in the lottery can happen. So why not go for the lottery? I guarantee you we'd all be watching. As for the NFL, it would be another ratings night for them.


Bottom 12 teams go into the lottery. Drop those black and gold ping pong balls in.


I do think teams tank to get the #1 overall pick, especially if there is a really good QB prospect or once in a decade type of talent at a few other positions.

[st33lersguy]

I'm a selfish fan, so year me out. The last time the Steeler had the #1 pick was 1970, and we had to win a coin toss to get it! Who was alive to see that? Not me. This team is too well run to " earn " the 1st overall pick; however, a lousy year that would put us in the lottery can happen. So why not go for the lottery? I guarantee you we'd all be watching. As for the NFL, it would be another ratings night for them.


Bottom 12 teams go into the lottery. Drop those black and gold ping pong balls in.


I do think teams tank to get the #1 overall pick, especially if there is a really good QB prospect or once in a decade type of talent at a few other positions.

And suppose the Steelers finish with the worst record in the NFL but get stuck with the 5th pick and pick behind the Ravens who went 7-9?

[DesertSteel]

I'm a selfish fan, so year me out. The last time the Steeler had the #1 pick was 1970, and we had to win a coin toss to get it! Who was alive to see that? Not me. This team is too well run to " earn " the 1st overall pick; however, a lousy year that would put us in the lottery can happen. So why not go for the lottery? I guarantee you we'd all be watching. As for the NFL, it would be another ratings night for them.


Bottom 12 teams go into the lottery. Drop those black and gold ping pong balls in.


I do think teams tank to get the #1 overall pick, especially if there is a really good QB prospect or once in a decade type of talent at a few other positions.
I’m with you.

[teegre]

I could see something like a lottery for the top 5 picks... then, a separate lottery for picks 6-10... and then again for 11-15.

It’d keep the team with the #1 overall from dropping “too far” (at worst: they’d pick #5), while also preventing tanking. It would also give each tier (1-5,6-10, 11-15) a “chance” to move up 5 spots in the draft. Just far enough to create excitement, but again, without tanking.

16-20 are trying to make the playoffs; so, I’d leave them be (they draft where they end up).