The 2025 NFL Draft and Ed Tech Selection: A Strategic Parallel

Live from Lambeau Field: Oral Roberts University and St. Norbert College

• By Michael Mathews, Marc Belanger
• 04/16/25

This year, the NFL Draft will be held in Tittle Town, USA, on April 24-26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. I grew up 30 miles from Green Bay as a young boy and never missed a game. Years later, I connected with Marc Belanger, an incredible chief information officer of St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. Marc and I first met at a Packers game and were reconnected through the ed tech company Ready Education, a mobile student app drafted by great institutions like Yale, Oral Roberts University, St. Norbert College, Oxford, Arizona State University, and 722 other campuses worldwide.

In honor of the 2025 NFL draft, the reality that Steve Jobs was conceived in Green Bay, WI, and that St. Norbert College is a stone's throw from Lambeau Field — Marc Belanger and I decided to write an article showing the strategic parallel of selecting NFL players and selecting right higher education software. 

In the fast-evolving landscape of collegiate football, the NFL, and higher education, one might not immediately draw connections between the 2025 NFL Draft and the selection of proper educational technology for a college campus. However, upon closer examination, both processes share striking similarities: a rigorous assessment of needs, long-term strategic impact, talent, or tool evaluation, financial considerations, and adaptability to a dynamic future. Just as NFL franchises meticulously analyze potential players to strengthen their teams, universities must choose (draft) the right technologies to enhance learning and increase student success, accessibility, and overall institutional engagement.  

Drafting for a Purpose: Identifying Needs and Goals 

The first step in the NFL Draft and education technology selection is identifying immediate and long-term objectives. NFL teams evaluate their roster to determine where gaps exist — do they need a quarterback to lead their franchise, a lineman to protect their assets, or a defensive force to stop opposing offenses? Similarly, colleges must assess their technological needs. Are students demanding more interactive learning tools? Do professors require seamless integration of artificial intelligence for research purposes? Is the administration prioritizing data security and accessibility?

For an NFL team, the wrong draft pick can mean years of mediocrity, wasted salary cap space, and frustrated fans. For a university, selecting an outdated or incompatible technology can lead to inefficient learning, frustrated faculty members, and disengaged students. Thoughtful planning and alignment with organizational goals are fundamental to making the right choice.  

Scouting the Talent vs. Evaluating Technology

NFL franchises dedicate months to scouting college athletes, watching films, conducting interviews, and analyzing performance data to determine the best prospects fit their system. Universities undergo a similar process when evaluating education technologies. They must compare features, watch demos/films, usability, integration with existing tools, scalability, cost, and support services.  

Consider how an NFL team examines physical and mental attributes in a player — agility, endurance, work ethic, salary caps, and adaptability under pressure. A college evaluating education technology looks at usability, student engagement, technical support availability, customization capabilities, and adaptability to new learning models. The wrong choice could lead to poor performance, budget caps, and inefficiency in both scenarios.

Furthermore, like top athletes who sometimes struggle to transition from college to the NFL, technologies that shine in demos may not perform well in real-world classroom environments. Colleges must conduct thorough pilot programs and test various systems, much like NFL teams hosting pre-draft workouts to see how players function within their playbook.  

Financial Considerations and Risk Management  

Both the NFL Draft and education technology decisions involve significant financial implications. A team investing heavily in a top draft pick — often a quarterback or edge rusher — has to weigh the financial risk and budget cap. If the prospect doesn't meet expectations, the team suffers significant losses, including wasted salary and lost opportunity for success. In higher education, technology purchases require extensive budgeting. Investing in cutting-edge tools that quickly become obsolete could cost a university millions in implementation, training, and eventual replacement.

Much like NFL teams, universities must balance short-term needs with long-term viability. Do they allocate resources to expensive but promising technologies or take a more conservative approach with proven budget-friendly solutions? NFL teams frequently debate whether to take the high-risk, high-reward draft choice or opt for a safer, more experienced player. Universities must ask similar questions when selecting between experimental emerging technologies versus reliable, established systems.

Additionally, both fields rely on contract negotiations. NFL rookies receive structured contracts with performance incentives and evaluation clauses. Universities, too, negotiate service-level agreements with technology vendors, ensuring proper implementation and long-term viability. Missteps in either case can lead to financial strain and operational failure.  

Adaptability and Futureproofing

Selecting a player in the NFL Draft isn't just about present needs, it's about envisioning how they will fit the system for years to come. Likewise, universities must future-proof their educational technology investments.

A rookie drafted in 2025 will play in an ever-changing football environment, adjusting to new schemes, evolving rules, and unexpected challenges. Similarly, educational technologies chosen today must be flexible enough to accommodate new teaching methods, emerging artificial intelligence, evolving compliance laws, and shifting student expectations.

For example, if a university invests in VR-assisted learning, it must anticipate whether virtual reality will remain relevant five years later. NFL teams consider the longevity of a draft pick's impact — will they have a lasting career, or will injuries and system mismatches limit their value?

Just as NFL general managers seek versatile athletes who can adapt to multiple schemes, universities look for technology solutions that integrate seamlessly with other digital tools, support various instructional styles, and evolve as education changes.  

Culture Fit and Leadership Potential

A draft pick's success doesn't just depend on skill — it also hinges on how well they fit the team's culture, coachability, and leadership potential. Likewise, universities must ensure that new technologies align with their institutional mission, faculty expectations, and student engagement strategies.

NFL teams conduct in-depth interviews to determine a prospect's personality, mindset, and ability to lead. Similarly, universities must evaluate technology providers based on support systems, company vision, reliability, and alignment with their pedagogical goals.

For example, an NFL quarterback with supreme talent but poor leadership skills may struggle to command a locker room and earn the respect of teammates. Likewise, a flashy educational platform without proper faculty support may fail to drive effective learning outcomes, while negatively impacting student engagement. Cultural fit is crucial in both realms.  

Conclusion: The Art of Drafting for Success

Ultimately, the 2025 NFL Draft and the selection of education technology for a college campus share many strategic similarities. Both require meticulous analysis, financial foresight, adaptability, and alignment with long-term goals. Just as NFL teams hope their draft picks become franchise leaders, universities aspire to integrate technologies that transform learning and advance academic success.  

Mistakes in either process can lead to inefficiencies, financial losses, and frustration. However, when done correctly — when teams draft the perfect player, or universities adopt the right technologies — the rewards are immense. The right draft pick can lead a franchise to Super Bowl glory, while the right education technology can empower a generation of students to learn, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.  

Thus, whether selecting a first-round quarterback or a state-of-the-art campus application platform, organizations must embrace the same careful evaluation, strategic planning, and vision for future success. In both the NFL and academia, the draft isn't just about today — it's about securing tomorrow.

These two Green Bay Packers fans from St. Norbert College and Oral Roberts University say "Go Pack-Go" in the 2025 NFL draft in Title Town USA.