The NFL draft is a distant memory, the MLB draft now a piece of recent history. The NHL draft kicks off its two days of picks today, and the highly anticipated NBA draft is less than a week away. The drafts for the big four sports have their individual strengths and weaknesses, but above all they can be judged on their fan friendliness.

NBA
The NBA draft is unparalleled in terms of player recognition and speed. NBA teams have the smallest roster of any of the four major sports, so the draft is limited to a speedy two rounds. The talent in the NBA draft gets the most exposure as the best players usually come from the best schools which regularly get their games nationally televised and always participate in the NCAA Tournament. The low number of top international prospects makes it easier for fans to become acquainted with them. Starting with the draft lottery the hype continues to build up to, and through, the draft easily distinguishing it as the best draft of the bunch.

See the rest after the break.

NFL
The NFL draft starts out strong, with mostly big name players from major schools and conferences getting picked early. The problem is when the draft enters its second day, the big names are gone, and viewers are forced to rely on commentators with enough hot air between them for a fleet of balloons. At least they shortened the time teams have to choose, making the process faster (and avoiding unnecessary glimpses at Mel Kiper Jr.’s hair sculpture). Top draft picks get the chance to make an immediate impact, making the draft more relevant for the bandwagon fans looking forward to a new jersey for the new season.

MLB
Let’s give MLB some credit, they’ve done a lot to promote the draft recently, but it still falls short of being great entertainment. Teams aren’t allowed to trade draft picks, and this results in a lack of surprises and thus excitement on draft day. At least the top picks get national exposure in events like the College World Series, making some of them household names for fans to get excited about. Players can be drafted, choose not to sign with the team that drafted them, and just like that the pick is lost and the player returns to the pool for future drafts. If they reach the majors years later, their good performance is surprising because everyone has forgotten about them while they languished in the minors.

NHL
The NHL draft is the least accessible of all drafts, with little interest outside of the established fan base (and bandwagon playoff fans don’t count). College and international players get about as much exposure as unpaid interns get paid (for those of you far removed from your college days, that is a whopping zero, ouch). Hockey also makes it hard to market anyone but the top superstars, meaning the first and last time these guys will hear their name called is on draft day. Record it (it will actually be broadcast on the NHL network), watch it before bedtime, and voila, the best sleep aid ever created.