NFL Record 135 Players Declare for Draft With NCAA Eligibility Remaining

Roughly a third of the early entrants are expected to go undrafted, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

An NFL record 135 players have foregone their NCAA eligibility to enter  April's NFL draft, according to Pro Football Talk. The slate of draft entrants includes 103 juniors who have decided to turn pro as well as 32 players who are entering the draft after completing their academic degrees.

The 135 non-senior entrants is up from the previous record, with 119 players declaring for the draft in 2018. In 2015, just 84 players declared before the completion of their senior seasons. 

The flood of early entrants will likely cause a significant share of players to go undrafted. 

“There’ll probably be 40 of those guys undrafted, if you have 120 or more declaring," an AFC executive told the MMQB's Albert Breer. "There is going to be a ton of guys sitting at home after the draft undrafted.”

Over 250 players will be selected across seven rounds in the 2019 draft. This year's event will begin on April 25 in Nashville, Tenn.