The Draft is a formal process used by major professional sports leagues to assign amateur or international players to teams.
It’s not just a competitive tool, it’s a financial foundation.
A player’s career earnings, contract length, team control, and future leverage often begin here.
Whether you’re being selected #1 overall or going in the last round, the draft determines:
- Who owns your initial contract rights.
- What salary tier or slot bonus you start with.
- How long you’re under team control before hitting free agency.
How Drafts Work In Different Leagues
🎓NCAA / NIL Athletes
The NCAA does not hold a draft.
Entry is based on recruiting, transfers, and NIL offers, making college closer to free agency than forced allocation.
The NCAA is a major starting point for any pro-athlete to be drafted to the pros of their respective league, especially in college football, baseball and basketball.
College athletes don’t get drafted, they get recruited, negotiated for, and paid. It’s a marketplace, not a selection ceremony.
🏈NFL
The NFL Draft is the primary way teams acquire new talent out of college. Held over three days, seven rounds, and broadcast live, it’s a high-stakes rookie lottery.
Use Cases
- Contracts are standardized by round and pick number.
- All rookie contracts are four years, with a fifth-year team option for 1st-round selections.
- Signing bonuses are guaranteed, but base salaries are mostly non-guaranteed.
- Draft position has major implications for future earnings, endorsement deals, and leverage.
Example
Joe Burrow, 2020’s #1 overall pick, signed a 4-year, $36.1 million deal with a $23.9 million signing bonus.
Meanwhile, 7th rounders make just over league minimum.
🏀NBA
The NBA Draft is limited to two rounds, with only 60 selections.
Lottery picks come with major hype and guaranteed contracts.
Second-round picks? Not so much.
Use Cases
- First-rounders get guaranteed rookie deals (2 years + 2 team options).
- Players are assigned salary tiers based on draft slot.
- Non-lottery picks have less leverage, and second-rounders may get Exhibit 10 or 2-way contracts.
Example
Victor Wembanyama, the #1 overall pick in 2023, signed a 4-year rookie scale deal worth $55 million.
Meanwhile, #41 pick Tracye Jackson-Davis signed a non-guaranteed multi-year minimum.
⚾MLB
The MLB Draft determines which team holds your minor league rights.
Unlike other leagues, players can’t immediately jump to the majors and the money isn’t always as glamorous.
Use Cases
- Each pick has a slot value; teams try to stay under total draft bonus pool.
- Players receive signing bonuses, but base salaries in the minors are low.
- College players can opt out and return if drafted late or offered under slot.
Example
Paul Skenes went #1 in 2023, signing for $9.2 million. Many late-round players sign for less than $50,000.
🏒NHL
The NHL Entry Draft allows teams to control the rights of young players, often from juniors or Europe.
Use Cases
- Drafted players sign entry-level contracts (ELCs) that last 3 years.
- ELCs have max salary limits and performance bonuses.
- European players delay signing and still retain rights with NHL team.
Example
Connor Bedard was drafted #1 in 2023 by the Blackhawks and signed a 3-year ELC with performance bonuses that could push it to ~$4 million/year.
⚽MLS & International Soccer
Soccer doesn’t use a universal league-wide draft like the NFL, NBA, NHL, or Major League Baseball.
Instead, player entry depends on a mix of academies, youth development systems, and club-controlled pipelines.
However, MLS is the one major soccer league that does operate a draft, the MLS SuperDraft, which functions as a way for college players to enter the league.
Internationally, clubs do not draft players; they sign, transfer, or develop them internally.
Use Cases
MLS SuperDraft
Used for NCAA players, late bloomers, and developmental prospects.
These players often sign smaller rookie deals and must prove themselves to earn contract extensions.
International Clubs
Rely on:
- Academy graduates
- Scouting networks
- Transfers
- Youth signings
- Loan agreements
Instead of drafting, players are picked up at very young ages and developed through club systems.
MLS Example
Teams like FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC built early rosters using the SuperDraft. Top picks often earn supplemental roster spots or Generation Adidas contracts.
International Soccer Example
Clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Dortmund sign youth players as early as age 14–16 through academies instead of drafting. Transfers replace the draft entirely at the senior level.
🥊UFC / Combat Sports
There is no formal draft in the UFC or boxing. Fighters sign as free agents or come up through Dana White’s Contender Series, regional circuits, or The Ultimate Fighter.
Use Cases
- Rankings and popularity matter more than age or eligibility.
- Fighters negotiate tiered contracts based on reputation and fan draw.
- Free-agent signings function as “draft-like” moments in terms of money.
Example
Bo Nickal, a former NCAA wrestler, skipped any draft and signed a UFC deal directly through DWCS with built-in raise clauses based on wins.
⛳Golf / Tennis / Individual Sports
No drafts in these sports.
Entry is earned through ranking, qualifying events, and wild cards.
Use Cases
- Young players turn pro by choice, not by team selection.
- Sponsors, national programs, and NIL/college pathways fill the development role.
- Career starts are more dependent on tour success than team selection.
🏎️Racing / NASCAR / Formula 1
No traditional draft. Teams “sign” young drivers from academies or feeder leagues.
Use Cases
- Driver academies (e.g., Ferrari, Red Bull) work like pipelines.
- Talent moves up by merit and financial backing.
- “Call-ups” feel like a draft but are often pre-negotiated over time.
Example
Oscar Piastri was developed through Alpine’s system, but moved to McLaren amid contract drama, no draft, but very similar impact.
Why the Draft Matters
The draft isn’t just about who goes where, it’s also about financial destiny.
- Sets the baseline for career earnings
- Impacts how long a player is under team control
- Determines leverage in early negotiations
- Dictates who gets early bonuses vs. who has to grind for a payday
For athletes, draft day isn’t just emotional, it’s contractual. It determines the tier of their future earnings, before they hit the field, court, or rink.
🔗Related Terms
🔗Next Reads
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- Cam Ward’s Rookie Contract with the Tennessee Titans
- Five Pro Athletes Poised to Become Billionaires
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
— Proverbs 16:3
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