2017 NFL Draft: How To Stay Busy Until April 27

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of football fans in the stands during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Anderson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of football fans in the stands during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Anderson-USA TODAY Sports /
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How can fans stay sane until the 2017 NFL Draft? Here are a few way to stay busy to help pass the next three weeks.

We’re only three weeks away from the start of the 2017 NFL Draft on April 27. You’re probably wondering what you’re going to do until then. March was a busy sports month. Spring Training was in full-swing, March Madness and busted brackets filled lunch breaks at work, and pro days were in happening all over the place.

Now March Madness has concluded with North Carolina beating Gonzaga in the National Championship game. The MLB started this week, and players are scheduling interviews with NFL teams. But for the most part, NFL fans are left wanting when it comes to football right now. All they want is some movement of some sort to give them their fix, but only the 2017 NFL Draft is going to wholly get the job done.

So what can fans do to make the wait less excruciating? Here are a few things to keep you busy.

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4. Player Interviews and Trade Rumors

Have a favorite player in mind for your favorite NFL team? Now is the time to keep a lookout to see if they’re interested. But don’t forget, ’tis the season for draft smokescreens to fill your news feeds. If you see news about Myles Garrett interviewing with the Green Bay Packers, stop dreaming. Garrett is projected by everyone to go No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns.

How about Deshaun Watson visiting with the Jacksonville Jaguars (per NFL.com)? You might consider that a smokescreen with Blake Bortles still on the roster, but many fans have let that ship sail after another poor season in Jacksonville. Don’t believe everything you read—or do believe it. That’s up to you.

How about trade rumors? We all love those. And no other rumor is hotter than Richard Sherman getting dealt from the Seattle Seahawks to…? We’ll have to wait and see.

3. Team Voluntary Workouts

Why pay attention to voluntary workouts? Well, it’s football for one. You don’t need much of a reason after that. Realistically, though, you want to know which players are choosing to workout with the team, who’s choosing to workout by themselves or trainers and, most importantly, watch out for injuries.

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If an injury pops up during voluntary workouts, it could mean a whole new direction your favorite team will be taking in three weeks. Obviously we all hope for the best that injuries don’t occur and teams enter the draft with a full bill of health.

2. Major League Baseball

Opening Day in the MLB is a special day for everyone. Whether you actually like to sit down and watch a baseball game on TV or not, it seems like everyone has a baseball team they root for throughout the spring, summer and winter.

Opening Day happened to be this on Monday, April 3—in case you missed it. Six teams actually pitched things off (is that a thing?) on Sunday, including the defending World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. And things have already gotten off to an interesting start with St. Louis Cardinals’ Stephen Piscotty getting hit with the ball on three separate occasions with one trip around the bases.

Serisously. You can’t make it up:

He’s since been checked and cleared by the doctor. It’s bad luck and scary anytime a player gets hit in the head with a throw in baseball, but everyone is glad to hear he’s ok.

You can watch a free game everyday by downloading the MLB TV app on supported devices by signing in with your MLB.com account. Enjoy America’s favorite pasttime while your team still has a shot at the pennant.

1. The Masters

Quick! You don’t want to miss The Masters Tournament as they’ve already kicked things off at the infamous Augusta National Golf Club.

Winning the Green Jacket is one of the most iconic accomplishments in professional sports. Last year, Danny Willett won and will look to win his second ever major championship this time around. Dustin Johnson was the favorite for 2017 but a fall down the stairs left him with an injured back that forced him to withdraw. Other names to watch for include Rory Mcllroy and Jordan Spieth.

Next: Cowboys: 5 Biggest NFL Draft Rumors

Round 1 began on Thursday, Round 2 has teed off on Friday and the action will continue all the way through Round 4 on Sunday afternoon. Don’t miss out on the next winner of the vaunted Green Jacket.