Tomorrow is the NFL Christmas with the 1st Round of the Draft. Hopefully, you can gather around with your friends and family to see all the drama unfold. Many questions will be answered on which player Cleveland will take at the top and then other teams will react based on that selection. I anticipate at least one trade into the Top 10 to grab a QB. There could be other trades as the Draft unfolds that no one really can anticipate.
So, besides the chips, pizza and dip, plus a cold beverage. How are you going to consume this Draft? Do you have a sheet with your picks? You should. Why not make it fun and like an Oscar Ballot or NCAA Tournament Bracket, challenge yourself and others to put your predictions to the test.
NFL DRAFT POOL
I have set up a simple Excel sheet for my buddies to fill in. Here it is below:
Sample Draft Sheet
Now, the current Draft Order is in place. Prior to the Draft, have all Pool participants complete the form including the Participant’s Name at the top, Player’s First and Last Name, their position and school (to eliminate confusion) for each Draft slot 1-32. Also, have them fill in the Tiebreaker answer, which this year is “Number of QBs Selected in the 1st Round.” For Pools, it is always important to have a way to break ties. Since there is a lot of speculation on the QBS, I thought that was fun. Last year, I had Number of Alabama Players in the 1st Round.
Scoring System:
I have a 2 part scoring system –
Part 1: Simple Scoring – Player In = 1 Point – Participants receive 1 Point for Every Player Predicted and Actually Selected in the 1st Round. For example, if you think Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State is going to go as the 1st Pick in the Draft, but he goes at #2. You will still receive 1 point, even though the Slot was not correct.
Part 2: Bonus Scoring – Slot Prediction = 3 Points – Participants receive an additional 3 Points for Every Player Predicted in the Exact Slot they are drafted into. For example, if you think Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State is going as the 1st Pick and he does, then you would receive the additional 3 points. (Plus the one from the Player In Scoring for a total of 4). Now, even if a team trades to a different slot, then the slot is what determines the bonus not the team’s pick. The Teams are just for you to help guess who they will pick. You will have to anticipate any trades based on the slots. For example, if the Browns in their #4 Pick trade with say, Buffalo in the #12 slot, then your prediction in the #4 Slot does not move to #12 – it stays where it is and hopefully, you either guessed that would happen or they pick the same player in that slot.
Maximum Scoring = 128 Points (32 Player In + 32 x 3 Bonus Points)
Highest score wins the Pool and all the Cash or Bragging Rights you are willing to put on the line.
If there is a tie, then the Tiebreaker of Number of QBs selected in the 1st Round comes into play. Closest or exact selection will win.
Test Yourself Against the Experts
Even if you do not have 5 or 10 friends who want to do this Pool. Then, use the sheet for yourself and do the picks anyway. I like to see how well I do against the 7 or 8 experts I follow prior to the Draft. Maybe you will see that you have a future in the Draft business.
Try it out and let me know how it goes. I’ll Post my form on Friday morning to see if you beat me, too.
Have fun with it.
Wegs