NFL Draft Prankgate: Leaked League-Issued Phones Spark Chaos and Investigation

The NFL's plan to keep draft night smooth has, well, backfired in style. In an attempt to deliver those classic televised moments where prospects answer life-changing calls from their new teams, the league handed out single-purpose phones to select players. The trouble? Those phone numbers leaked faster than a rookie's Twitter password.

Remember the Shedeur Sanders prank? That was just the tip of the iceberg. Sanders, using a league-issued phone not even in his name, found himself on the receiving end of a viral prank call that started with Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and snowballed from there. The league's shiny new system, meant to cut through the chaos of draft night, ended up opening a prank floodgate.

Here's how it went down: the NFL distributed these phones to make sure the right call reached the right player at the right moment for TV. But then, they shared the numbers with an estimated 2,000 staffers and club employees—basically, everyone short of the stadium hot dog vendor. Not surprisingly, the numbers started making the rounds.

This year, Sanders wasn't alone. Prospects like Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter, Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham, Colts tight end Tyler Warren, and others also got hit with prank calls. Eagles quarterback Kyle McCord said he got so many fake calls before the draft that when the real one finally came, he thought it was just another joke. Imagine missing your NFL call-up because you think it's your buddy messing with you—talk about trust issues!

The NFL says it's investigating, but let's be real—if you hand out numbers like Halloween candy, it's not exactly a detective-level mystery where the leak started. Even public relations staff and equipment managers reportedly got the list. Maybe next time, the league will keep the distribution list a bit shorter. Or at least, you know, not include everyone with an @nfl.com email.

Prank calls in the NFL aren't new, but this year's draft seems to have hit a new high, or low, depending on your sense of humor. The league's desire for a perfect broadcast moment has come head-to-head with the chaos of group emails and human nature. Expect some changes ahead—unless the NFL wants prank calls to become part of the draft night tradition.