ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay to miss broadcast with coronavirus
Apr 23, 2020, 2:59 PM
Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III of Alabama talks to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama and wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. of Kentucky during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
One of the NFL Draft’s most respected experts won’t be giving his live analysis of picks during the event that begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.
ESPN’s Todd McShay is at home and recovering from coronavirus that had already greatly impacted the broadcast of the 2020 draft. He announced on Twitter that he is grateful for the support of his colleagues and healthcare workers and he will watch the draft from home.
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) April 23, 2020
McShay also made sure to take a jab at fellow ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. The pair have a $5,000 bet on which of quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Jordan Love will be picked first.
ESPN’s and NFL Network’s coverage of the draft had already been greatly affected by coronavirus.
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“It’s unprecedented as far as having all of these people not be in one spot,” Seth Markman, ESPN’s vice president of production, told CNN Business. “The amount of feeds we’re going to get coming into our building, we’ve never seen anything like it. How do we communicate with all those people? How do we choose the best shots?
“There’s a lot of variables and I think until Thursday night actually happens, it’s hard to tell exactly how this is all going to work out.”
With the draft plans along the Las Vegas strip scrapped because of social distancing practices to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the TV networks will lean on remote cameras for not only prospects but television hosts and analysts.
