Goodell announced picks from his basement in New York. There was a jar of M&M’s nearby. Television screens behind him showed videos of fans cheering from their homes. There was even a virtual “boo” in the beginning to continue the tradition.
“Wow, even the virtual ‘boos’ are good,” he joked.
Apparently, so was the technical aspect of the evening. Despite Broncos coach Vic Fangio having an internet and cable outage shortly before the draft started, according to ESPN, there were no other technical glitches during the draft, as far as we know.
Instead of prospects sitting in a green room and walking onto a stage, they were comfortably waiting in their homes with their families. We got to see the raw emotion from their living rooms as they found out they made it to the NFL.
Owners, general managers and coaches were in their homes, too, some with draft setups fancier than the others. Some were dressed in dress clothes as if it were a regular draft night. Others were in casual clothing. Some were by themselves. Some had their kids with them.
Goodell even had a wardrobe change, noticeably going from a blazer to a sweater.
But there was a serious side to the virtual draft as well. The commissioner held a moment of silence for victims of COVID-19. Goodell also honored front-line workers at the top of the show, which continued throughout the night.
Harry Connick Jr., who sang the national anthem, asked viewers to cheer for front-line workers with him.
Dr. Anthony Fauci offered a recorded message of support and hope, supporting the NFL for its decision to hold this event from home.
“And I want to commend those involved in these decisions to show that we can have something as important as that in a way that safeguards the life, the safety and the health of the American public,” he said.
Voice of the Eagles Merrill Reese was pleased with Reagor. Listen to what Merrill thinks makes the wide receiver stand out below:
Hall of Famer Ray Didinger, however, said he was surprised by the Reagor pick, but it’s not totally out of left field. Listen to the full interview below: