Brady Quinn: NFL Pre-Draft Visits Like Form Of Speed Dating For Prospects

The pre-draft process is no picnic. It’s a much nicer meal than that.

As part of the gauntlet prospects face in the run-up to the NFL draft, pre-draft visits feel a lot like speed dating, former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn writes on FootballbyFootball.com. Every move a player makes, even the most seemingly mundane, could be part of the evaluation.

It’s sort of like a series of first dates.

“Following the meetings, the player is fed a nice dinner on the team’s tab as the feeling-out process ensues,” Quinn writes. “Every action is watched and measured and both parties get a chance to determine if a relationship can materialize. You know you’re being evaluated, but to what degree … you kind of never know.

“Should I order the most expensive item on the menu? Or the cheapest? Do I follow the lead of the staff? Or should I just follow their lead … and is that a negative trait for a quarterback? Do I order a beer? Do I have dessert? Etc., etc.”

One difference between drafting and dating: In dating, you at least get to choose your partner. In the NFL, your partner chooses you.