The High-Stakes Environment of an NFL Draft Room

Written By Evan Burk

The first 6 minutes of this video from inside the Arizona Cardinals Draft Room give an excellent portrayal of the high-stakes environment of an NFL war room as Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort pulls off a blockbuster trade as the clock ticks down on Arizona's 1st round selection.

There is so much preparation that goes into the NFL Draft. Teams follow 2-3 year plans for scouting college players, draft prep, mock drafts, and setting their draft boards. But the NFL Draft is also about reacting to real-time changes that happen in an instant (trades, players falling, etc.) and still having the ability to stay calm under pressure in those critical moments.

The production value of the content that some pro sports teams create these days is just insane. Something I wish I could have had around when I was a young fan growing up.

Evan Burk

Evan Burk is a speaker, former NFL coach, and podcast host who uses the sports world as his backdrop to engage audiences with thought-provoking lessons of leadership, team-building, and creating championship cultures.

Evan Burk is not your typical football coach. Despite not playing football beyond high school and no network in the coaching profession, Evan's unlikely football journey began as a 4th grade coach, where he quickly worked his way to the NFL in just 6 years, and included coaching for teams such as the Miami Dolphins, UCLA, and SMU.

After spending fifteen-plus years working with the highest-performing athletes, coaches, and teams on the planet, Coach Burk uses his unique football coaching background to teach people how to utilize the same strategies in business and life that elite players and teams use to perform at a world-class level.

Evan received his B.S. in business management from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University. He also hosts his own weekly sports leadership podcast, The Highest Level, where he reveals how championship team cultures are built and the keys to leadership excellence at the highest level.

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