The one benefit of the chaos of the current state of the college football NIL market is this:

"I talked to an NFL scout last week…"

"Last year rounds 6 and 7 wiped out from NFL, this year rounds four through seven wiped out from NIL."@AndrewBrandt discusses the impact NIL has on the NFL Draft on this week's Business of Sports:9 pic.twitter.com/ssnS9suUys

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) April 24, 2026

The union closed shop with a rookie salary cap and scale doesn’t allow players to be eligible for their league until 3 years out of high school. The owners and player personnel people of the teams have taken advantage of the college football system as a free minor league for decades are crying because the back end of the draft has dropped off due to free market NIL.

A player with eligibility remaining with a late 3rd round or later grade can improve his draft stock and get paid for it instead of rolling the dice in the draft and betting he can make a team. He likely is able to make as much or more with less risk by returning to college for that 4th or 5th year.

NFL insiders cannot let this stand.

The law of unintended consequences is still the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Pass the Kleenex.

Maybe this will bring the NFL to the table to discuss how they can work more effectively with the power brokers of college football.

Refugees, assemble and discuss.