Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said he'd like to see the first round of the draft move even faster than it did this year in its new format.
The NFL is always looking to tweak things to maximize the entertainment value of each event.
When it comes to the annual draft, it always got attention, but it was known for being too long of a process that dragged on and lost attention. Eventually, it was transformed into the experience we know today, with the first round being on a Thursday night, followed by Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night, followed by the remaining four rounds beginning on Saturday at noon.
The next hurdle was how long each day took, particularly the first round, which gave each team 15 minutes to pick. In 2008, it was slashed to 10 minutes per pick in the first round, and for the first time this year, eight minutes.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard, who was a guest this week on "The Rich Eisen Show," was a big fan of this year's change, despite the fact that his team did not have a pick in the first round.
"Yes, it was great, because we were not there 'til midnight," Ballard told Eisen. "I mean, we can get it done, we know what we're gonna do. Teams know what they're gonna do. And if we're gonna make a trade, there's been enough talk beforehand, and when we get on the clock, we can get it done."
Ballard then took it a step further, suggesting the NFL continue to shorten the countdown for each first-round pick from eight minutes to five.
"I'm all for cutting it to five if we can do it, I'm alright with it."
The NFL Draft has always been one of the most popular events for fans on the league's calendar, and with the increased availability of prospect game film and highlights over the years, as well as the prevalence of mock drafts and player rankings, how the first round will transpire each year has become less of a mystery.
That's one reason Ballard is in favor of shortening the first round to five minutes per pick: the months of preparation should be enough to suggest how to proceed throughout each pick of Draft Weekend.
"If we've not got in our minds what we're doing, like it we're on the clock, and we're still debating who we're taking, it's a little late," Ballard told Eisen. "And even with trade talks, I still think teams are good at it, you know who you're dealing with, you can get all that done. It's so much easier than it was back in the day, when you had to call in, write the paper, go up to the runner... But I thought it was great. The eight minutes was great."
Eisen even suggested Day 3 picks being on three-minute timers, which Ballard agreed with.