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Bret Bielema provides insight into how late round picks work
TL;DR
Bret Bielema discusses the dynamics of late-round NFL Draft picks, emphasizing that teams often keep their strategies private. He reflects on his experiences transitioning from college to professional football.
Key points
- Bret Bielema is the head coach at Illinois.
- He has experience coaching at Arkansas and Wisconsin.
- Bielema has served as an NFL assistant with the Patriots and Giants.
- Teams often keep late-round draft strategies private.
- The final day of the NFL Draft is less of a spectacle.
Mentioned in this story
Bret BielemaNew England PatriotsNew York Giants
Illinois Fighting Illini
Welcome to day three of the NFL Draft, rounds 4-7, an event which is strictly for the football hard cores and total draftniks. Thursday night, round one, always has major hype and true mainstream pop culture appeal. Meanwhile Friday night, rounds 2-3, is kind of the draft's proverbial and metaphorical sweet spot between sizzle and steak.
The draft's final day is many things, but a spectacle it is not. Current Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has previously held the same position at Arkansas and Wisconsin. In the NFL, he's served as an assistant with the New England Patriots and New York Giants. So he's seen the transition from playing on Saturdays to playing on Sundays from both sides of the equation.
When he met the media earlier this week, he provided a quote that serves as a perfect glimpse into how selections work on the draft's final day.
"What I have found, both in this business and then on the other side of it in the NFL, a lot of times, teams in those fifth, sixth, seventh rounds, or even going to the fourth round, they keep it to themselves," he said.
"They don't want other people to know it, so that they can kind of surprise people, including the players on draft day."
The soundbite was part of his answer into a query on his quarterback Luke Altmyer, a round 5-7 level prospect. Everything he said there makes perfect sense, obviously teams don't want tip their picks or telegraph their plans beforehand, but it's interesting how even the prospects themselves don't even know.
This is apparently a divergence from the earlier rounds, where teams makes it known to the prospects, beforehand that they will be selected. Given how this a life-changing weekend, literally, for the draftees, a lot of emotion is involved. So maybe it is best to keep it on the down low, in order to help reduce the stress of it all.
Bielema saw his first player of this class, edge rusher Gabe Jacas, get taken last night, 55th overall in the second round by New England. Everyone involved in the program knew, , Jacas was going to be high pick.
Q&A
What insights did Bret Bielema share about late-round NFL Draft picks?
Bret Bielema noted that teams often keep their strategies for late-round picks, particularly in the fourth to seventh rounds, to themselves.
What is Bret Bielema's background in football?
Bret Bielema is the current head coach at Illinois and has previously coached at Arkansas and Wisconsin, as well as serving as an assistant in the NFL.
How does the NFL Draft differ from college football recruiting?
The NFL Draft involves a different selection process where teams may prioritize secrecy, especially in the later rounds, compared to the more public nature of college recruiting.
