MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media during a press conference prior to Super Bowl LIV at the Hilton Miami Downtown on January 29, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the 54th playing of the Super Bowl, Sunday February 2nd.
(Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

In an effort to prepare for the first-ever virtual 2020 NFL Draft, the league is going to hold a virtual mock draft with all 32 teams.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the NFL plans to hold a virtual mock draft to prepare for the real thing. Obviously, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down the sports world, the NFL wasn’t going to be able to hold the draft in Las Vegas as it originally planned.

The virtual mock draft will allow the NFL to test a number of their new processes. They need to make sure teams can get picks in on time using Microsoft Team. They need to make sure the teams have stable internet that will allow them to run the draft. The NFL needs to test its secure phone line for trades.

That way if anything doesn’t work the way it’s intended, they have time to make adjustments before April 23.

This systems test is a necessary step for the NFL to ensure that the draft runs smoothly. This is uncharted territory for the league during these strange times and there’s no doubt that a virtual draft is going to be difficult to pull off.

For the fans, the draft won’t have all the pomp and circumstance that it usually brings, but the virtual aspect provides an interesting twist. Let’s be honest, even with the dry run that Rapoport is reporting, there’s still a chance that technical difficulties will disrupt the event at some point.

Regardless, the 2020 NFL Draft will give sports fans something to do for three nights in late April.

A contributor here at elitesportsny.com. I'm a former graduate student at Loyola University Chicago here I earned my MA in History. I'm an avid Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers fan. I am also a prodigious prospect nerd and do in-depth statistical analysis.