How NIL is changing the NFL draft

NIL is reengineering the traditional talent pipeline, and its effects will be on full display at Thursday’s NFL draft.

The 2025 NFL Draft is next week, and the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick, University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, is an anomaly. In any other year, the top prospect being a journeyman who attended three schools in five years and ended his career by losing the Pop Tarts Bowl would be nearly impossible.