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Can confirm that @NFL teams will conduct a virtual mock draft on Monday in preparation of the real thing on Thursday. Goes without saying, of course, that all player names will be fictitious.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) April 17, 2020
The New Orleans Saints will join the rest of the NFL for a virtual mock draft on Monday, ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft (with the first round set to kick off on Thursday, April 23). Each team will conduct this year’s draft from home due to social distancing restrictions in the wake of the novel coronavirus, leading many executives and decision-makers around the league to teleconference from home for the first time.
So it’s smart of the NFL to organize this sort of rehearsal. Fortunately, there won’t be any sort of tipping of picks going on — per a report from Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, all prospect names will be fictional. So maybe the Cincinnati Bengals will have a little more time to hide their intentions with the first overall pick, and LSU Tigers phenom Joe Burrow.
As many Americans can attest to, calling in to work from home can be a hazardous process. Background distractions and technical difficulties can get in the way of productivity, especially in a time-restrictive process like the NFL draft (something the league is already preparing to account for). Getting through this experience should help the NFL and its teams iron out any issues before they can tank the real thing on draft day.
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