The NFL Draft Jobs: Top Jobs for Sports Fans

For football fans, the NFL Draft is a key event to cheer (or jeer) your team’s picks. If you’ve dreamed of being part of the action but lack the athleticism, there are plenty of NFL Draft job opportunities to work closely with NFL legends and make sports history—no Tom Brady skills required.

5 Exciting NFL Draft Jobs

1. Sports Marketing Jobs

Because the NFL Draft is one of the most noteworthy events in football, the NFL, sports networks, and sports publications tend to market the Draft heavily. If you have marketing experience or are pursuing a marketing degree, landing a sports marketing job in the NFL would allow you the opportunity to be a part of the action. 

Your role may depend on the organization and the economic impact you bring. While many marketing jobs are with the NFL, you can also explore roles at sports networks, magazines, or blogs.

Your experience determines the sports marketing job you qualify for. With more experience, you could land a managerial role; less experience may mean starting lower or as an intern. That said, a smart person willing to work hard could transform an entry-level opportunity into a thriving sports marketing career.

2. NFL Scouting Jobs

The NFL Draft is the most significant NFL recruiting event. It’s where teams find most of their new players, after all.

Naturally, that means NFL scouts play a crucial role in the Draft. Should you accept an NFL scouting job, you’ll typically travel throughout the country, meeting with talented student-athletes to identify those who might make an excellent addition to a professional roster. 

There are a few ways to become an NFL scout. Some start in university athletics recruiting and move up to NFL departments, while others leverage their experience as former athletes.

After all, those who’ve already played football at a university or professional level are uniquely equipped to determine who does – and does not – have what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

3. Event Coordinator

Many NFL jobs focus on organizing major events, including the NFL Draft. This involves preparing the venue, managing ticket sales, and coordinating with media outlets, among other tasks. 

For those watching at home, it usually seems as though the Draft runs smoothly just about every year. However, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure that’s the case.

4. NFL Draft Journalist

As you might have already realized, not all NFL Draft jobs necessarily need to involve working directly for the NFL. Consider the example of journalists. Many sports news outlets cover the Draft extensively. Therefore, the event offers many opportunities for aspiring journalists and reporters.

If you get a full-time position as a journalist or reporter for a sports news outlet, you’ll likely cover many stories. The Draft may be one of them. On the other hand, if you’re interested in breaking into this line of work, you might get started by reaching out to smaller networks or publications and offering to cover the Draft freelance for different media outlets.

5. Data Analyst

Pursuing jobs in sports is a smart career move. As the industry continues to grow, new opportunities continue to arise.

For example, in recent years, improvements in data analysis technology have helped many team coaches, managers, and owners more thoroughly appreciate the potential benefits of analyzing data points before making important decisions.

These examples (which by no means represent all the NFL Draft job opportunities) reveal a key point: the NFL Draft gives people like you their first chance to start working in their dream career, but the career doesn’t need to end when the Draft ends. An early opportunity working behind the scenes during the Draft could very well become a full-time profession. 

If you’re interested in sports jobs, that’s a good reason to look into open positions.