Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishThe last embers of the last 2025 NFL Draft hot takes haven’t even cooled yet, and some draft prognosticators are already looking ahead to next year. That’s bold, plotting a draft a year out, but not nearly ambitious enough. We’re looking ahead to next decade.What will the 2035 NFL Draft look like? A lot like today’s, but more — more spectacle, more flash-and-dazzle, more manufactured drama. (And more opportunities for the Jets and Jags to blow it, but that’s another story.) Our predictions for what you can expect when you’re waiting to see where the next generation of Mannings and Bradys will end up…AdvertisementAI and Virtual Reality will combine for an immersive experience. Sure, Cam Ward is a talented player, but for now the question of what he’ll bring to the Titans is a mystery. But what if you could place Ward in an AI-driven virtual reality simulation of the Titans offense? Like Madden, but 10 levels beyond. That will be routine by 2035, and it’ll be a centerpiece of pre-draft analysis and speculation. It’s almost like we don’t even need the games to be played … but that, too, is another story.Each draftee will be a one-man content farm. Some draft shows focused on statistics, others on stories — what the player accomplished on the field, versus what challenges he overcame off it. By 2035, every player — or at least the prospective first-round picks — will come pre-packaged with his own narrative, documentary, social media outreach strategy and brand attributes.Get ready to pay up. Oh, you thought all this explosion in content was going to be free? You poor sweet soul. No, no, you’ll still be able to watch the picks for free — probably — but if you want the prime draft content, friend, you’re going to have to pay. Fortunately, we have several tiers waiting for you, from our Undrafted (free) level to our Mid-Rounder (some extra content) slot to our elite First-Rounder club. Only $99 a week leading up to the draft … and you can’t really put a price on knowing more ball than the rest of your crew, can you?AdvertisementThere will be a lottery, of sorts. Unlike in the NBA, one generational player generally can’t remake a franchise instantly. Even so, there’s an unsavory aspect to the end of each season, when several teams — usually the ones located in Cleveland and New York — fumble their way into high draft spots. Roger Goodell might just decide to emulate the UFL and set up a one-game anti-tank initiative — a play-out game? — to decide which terrible team gets the No. 1 pick. Win that game — which would be the most-watched of either team, all season — and the pick is yours. Gimmicky? Sure. But so is creating an entire holiday around a job fair. We’re so far past gimmicky now it’s not even a consideration.Shorter pick times. If you happened to tune into the draft’s final day on Saturday, you saw picks flying by so quickly that commentators didn’t even have time to over-analyze and bloviate. Four minutes per pick, and then the next team is on the clock. We could see this happening in earlier rounds too — shortening the first round from 10 minutes to seven, for instance. Teams, you’ve had three months to prepare for this moment; GMs should have all your contingencies already in mind. And if not, well, they probably won’t have to worry about preparing for next year’s draft.Every fan’s experience will be different. The days of everyone watching the same broadcast are already long gone; you can curate your own draft experience based on whether you want to see heartwarming interviews or get yelled at by Mel Kiper Jr. By 2035, you’ll be able to wrap yourself in a warm cocoon of your own team’s draft picks, needs, speculation and debate. You’ll hear exactly what you want to hear, and nothing else.The NFL Draft is already a key moment on the NFL calendar. By 2035, don’t be surprised if it’s a federal holiday, too.
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