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Matt Ryan was selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons during the 2008 NFL Draft. See more football pictures.
Each spring brings hope for National Football League (NFL) teams, especially for those that had poor win-loss records in the previous season. The NFL draft is held in April and is the opportunity for teams to improve their roster by adding those college players considered to be the most talented in the world.
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NFL teams develop their player rosters through three methods: free-agent signings, trading their players for players from other teams, and drafting college players who have declared themselves eligible for the NFL draft. The NFL draft is a two-day event in which all 32 teams take their turns selecting these players.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at the event that determines the future success of NFL teams by explaining the ground rules of the event, the selection process, and who is eligible to be drafted.
| Miami Dolphins | Jack Long/OT/Michigan |
| St. Louis Rams | Chris Long/DE/Virginia |
| Atlanta Falcons | Matt Ryan/QB/Boston College |
| Oakland Raiders | Darren McFadden/RB/Arkansas |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Glenn Dorsey/DT/LSU |
| New York Jets | Vernon Gholston/DE/Ohio State |
| New Orleans Saints | Sedrick Ellis/DT/USC |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Derrick Harvey/DE/Florida |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Keith Rivers/LB/USC |
| New England Patriots | Jerod Mayo/OLB/Tennessee |
