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It’s the end of April once again, which means spring is entering like a lamb after a cold and uninviting winter, and the summer harkens in the meadow, waiting to swallow people in its warm, familiar arms.
It also means the dawn of endless football coverage, as the NFL Draft is once again descending upon the mindspace of millions of eager NFL fans (and Cleveland, Ohio, in a physical sense,) as the future of over 250 football prospects and 32 teams is constructed in front of a live television audience.
This year, after a brief virtual hiatus, the circus once again takes to the road, with the celebrations already having started for some time prior alongside Lake Erie. The Mid-American Conference hopes their prospects will be part of the revelry, as a number of former #MACtion stars have declared their professional intentions.
The 2020 Draft saw two former MAC stars get drafted on the third day in current Colts guard Danny Pinter (Ball State) and former Rams/Titans kicker Sam Sloman (Miami), the fewest number of prospects selected since 1996, when Ball State linebacker Keith McKenzie was the 252nd overall pick to be the conference’s lone selection.
This season looks to eclipse that number, and will feature a number of key contributors, including Jaret Patterson, D’Wayne Eskridge, Antonio Phillips, Malcolm Koonce, Tommy Doyle and more.
The 2021 NFL Draft starts on Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will be aired on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.
As the latest happenings come in, we’ll update them in this storystream, including draft profiles, selection announcements, UDFA tracking and more, so be sure to bookmark this page!