The NFL is reducing the first-round pick timer from 10 minutes to 8 minutes, increasing pressure on teams. This change follows the Minnesota Vikings' 2003 draft mishap when they mistakenly thought they had traded their pick.
Key points
NFL reduces first-round pick timer from 10 minutes to 8 minutes
Minnesota Vikings lost their pick in 2003 due to a trade misunderstanding
Baltimore Ravens did not submit their pick card, invalidating the trade
New timer aims to speed up the draft process
Teams must make quicker decisions with the new rule
Draft nights can be stressful for any team in any sport. For team personnel, a lot rides on banking on teams ahead of yours not to pick the player you covet. In 2003, this was seen firsthand.
The Minnesota Vikings were jumped by two teams after being under the notion that they had traded their pick away. However, the Baltimore Ravens had never sent their card into the league, meaning the trade was not valid. While it was Baltimore who cost Minnesota a bit of respect around the league, it was the Vikings' front office that got the blunt end of the sword in the media.
This year, the NFL announced it would be shortening the first-round pick timer from 10 minutes to eight in order to speed up the draft that frequently ends around 11:30 p.m. ET. Teams will have to be more on the ball in their decision-making than ever before at this new rule's inception.
Here is what happens if time runs out for a team making their pick, along with a recap of Minnesota's mishap.
What happens if a team runs out of time during the NFL Draft?
If a team runs out of time during the NFL Draft, they forfeit their pick and cannot select a player until the next round.
What incident occurred with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2003 NFL Draft?
In 2003, the Minnesota Vikings believed they had traded their pick, but the Baltimore Ravens never submitted their card, leading to the Vikings losing their chance to draft.
Why is the NFL shortening the first-round pick timer?
The NFL is shortening the first-round pick timer to 8 minutes to expedite the draft process, which often runs late into the night.
How does the new pick timer affect NFL teams' decision-making?
The new 8-minute timer requires NFL teams to make quicker decisions, increasing the urgency during the draft.
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What happens if time runs out for NFL Draft picks?
If a team were to not get their pick in before their allocated time frame, the team after them can make their selection immediately. Once the team that was jumped gets their card into the league, their pick will go live.
In 2003, the Vikings were a victim of confusion that resulted in being jumped in the draft. They had thought their trade with the Ravens went through, since Minnesota submitted the trade to the league. However, Baltimore did not, which meant the Jacksonville Jaguars (and later the Carolina Panthers) had moved up and were on the clock.
This year, with time between picks being shortened from 10 minutes to eight minutes, it will be interesting to see if a team fails to get its draft picks in on time.
At the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, teams will have eight minutes to make their first-round selection. This marks the first time that the pick time has been changed since 2008, when it shifted from 15 minutes to 10.
The second through seventh round time limits will remain the same, according to the NFL. In the second round, teams have seven minutes to get their pick in. For rounds three through six, this number shrinks to five minutes, while the seventh round is four minutes per pick.
In 2003, Minnesota was a part of an unfortunate event in NFL history. The team was working to trade out of the No. 7 spot with the Ravens in exchange for their No. 10 pick and the Ravens' fourth and sixth-round draft selections. While the Vikings submitted their trade request to the league, Baltimore did not.
"We had called in the trade, and we thought it was done," Rob Brzezinski, Minnesota's vice president of football operations, said, according to ESPN. "We're all sitting there in the draft room, just watching on TV, and all hell broke loose."
The Vikings reported the deal by phone to Joel Bussert, the NFL's vice president of player personnel, and thought the Ravens were doing the same. However, Baltimore never did. According to the Ravens, their call to Bussert was never picked up.
"The deal was not consummated," general manager Ozzie Newsome said at the time. "A deal is not a deal until I talk to Joel Bussert, and I never talked to Joel Bussert."
After the Vikings' pick was absent at No. 8, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers quickly made their selections before Minnesota could. Minnesota would eventually select defensive tackle Kevin Williams at the No. 9 spot, Carolina's original drafting slot. According to Minnesota, they had always wanted to draft Williams at No. 7 prior to landing a trade. Unfortunately for Williams, his signing bonus was roughly $3 million less at No. 9 than it would have been at No. 7. The defensive tackle ended up being the right selection, as he finished his career with six Pro Bowl appearances and five All-Pro awards.
