Twitter Reacts to First Ever Virtual NFL Draft Plus Lil Wayne, Quavo, Big Boi and More Join Live Draft-A-Thon to Benefit Covid-19 Relief

Written by: Haley Graves – April 24th, 2020 3:34pm pst

ABTV ATHLETES IN QUARANTINE

Even if you don’t typically watch the NFL Draft, it’s fair to know this year’s event looked quite different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year was supposed to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in the fountains of the illustrious Bellagio hotel. First round selections were planned to ride boats to a floating stage where they’d walk the red carpet in fashion of their choice, greet NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, with bear hugs or chest bumps, while loud boos and cheers erupted all around.

However, given the circumstances of our world, this draft looked dramatically unique. Players were drafted from their homes with limited family and loved ones as fans from all over watched through Zoom feeds. 

This concept wasn’t bad. Just different. It was surprisingly enjoyable and it humanized this event. Usually, the NFL draft takes young college athletes and puts them on an immediate pedestal raising them to “high society” status. This draft we saw the insides of all the homes of draftees, coaches, and general managers. 

This was fun to see, and twitter loved it even more. 

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made his pick from his $250 million mega-yacht. 

And, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury with the biggest flex of them all. 

However, this didn’t stop Twitter fans from making all the comments. 

So, if you attempted to keep up with the draft or had a twitter feed overloaded with tweets about the night – I’ve decided to help track some of the best moments for you. Below are some of the best Twitter reactions to the NFL’s one-of-a-kind virtual draft. 

The majority of the jokes were cracked regarding the homes and background spaces of the NFL executives and coaches. 

Houston Texans’ star JJ Watt tweeted the most relatable tweet of the night, “Do you know how long my mom woulda had us cleaning the house if there were going to be national TV cameras in our living room for the NFL draft?” 

Meanwhile, this was the Titans’ head coach’s set-up. 

As I mentioned earlier, the NFL Draft has always been known for the incoming rookies to strut their stuff on either the red carpet or on stage. But like everything else this year, who wants to really dress up in the comfort of their own home? 

The newest member of the Las Vegas Raiders, Henry Ruggs III a wide receiver from Alabama, definitely chose the latter and Twitter noticed. 

However, before you judge too hard as Twitter did… there was a method to this madness. 

NFL Insider Darren Rovell revealed Ruggs got paid to wear the bathrobe by Old Spice which called attention to the company’s $320,000 donation to United Way. 

Also, celebrities chimed in on their fandom as well. 

NBA star, Dwayne Wade was rooting for his Chicago Bears while rapper Wale was in support of the Washington Redskins. 

Rick Ross might’ve struggled with the name of the Miami Dolphins’ first round pick but his passion did not struggle. 

“I love the coach. I love the team. I love the direction, but we gotta take Tua.” 

Country singer Brad Paisley came through with a welcome message for the Cleveland Browns’ first round pick. “I can’t wait to have you guarding Baker and everyone else in the offense… Can’t wait to have you and see you play this year.” 

And Backstreet’s back alright?! Well, kinda, because who knew Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ super-fan? 

“Tristen Wirfs, you’re in the place to be! Tampa Bay, baby!”

In addition to dreams coming true, the NFL was also giving back. There was a live #DraftAThon going on to keep fans entertained as well. 

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders made sure to give Lil Wayne a proper introduction too, “Stop what you’re doing! That’s my dog!”

“Weezy! I love you to life and you know I do! How you doing man?” 

Later on in the draft-a-thon, fans would witness artists Lil Wayne, Quavo and Big Boi alongside NFL legends Brett Favre and Michael Vick. 

After only the first night, the draft-a-thon raised just shy of $4 million in support of COVID-19 relief. The donations will support the following organizations: 

  • Feeding America
  • Meals on Wheels
  • The Salvation Army
  • United Way
  • American Red Cross
  • CDC Foundation 

If you’d like to donate, you can go to relief.nfl.com or join the experience live on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube on the official NFL account. Day two of the NFL draft will be live at 7pm ET with the Draft-a-thon featuring even more special guests! 

The draft madness continues on Friday night with rounds two and three at 7pm ET. 

If you love the NFL, following your favorite NFL superstars on Twitter, and AfterBuzz TV Athletes in Quarantine, share this article with a friend.  Tune in daily to AfterbuzzTV for articles, aftershows, and all the latest news on the world of entertainment.

About The Author:

Haley Graves is a host at AfterBuzz TV. She co-hosts on the panels for NBC’s This Is Us, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and CW’s Legacies.

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