Draft eligible players catch a lot of grief for being (gasp) over 22 years of age. Meanwhile players 21 and under are celebrated as prospects ("all this and he's still just 21 years old!"). It's because of this emphasis on getting young(er) talent that's supposedly on the upswing that the age of drafted players is tracked.

In the wake of the 2025 NFL draft, where the Las Vegas Raiders used their first-round pick on running back Ashton Jeanty, one Raiders reporter believes the team preferred two different prospects over the Boise State superstar.