The NFL Draft opens to new group: Tech innovators

Colin Williams TribLive Fri, Feb 27, 2026 • 12:57 PM

The NFL, in partnership with Visit Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers, shared the first official renderings of the 2026 NFL Draft, which give an early look at how the league’s offseason event will unfold across Pittsburgh’s North Shore and Downtown. (Courtesy of NFL)

The NFL wants you for the upcoming draft — if you’re a technology innovator, that is.

The league on Friday unveiled the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a crowdsourcing initiative to “enhance the fan and event experience.” The league is inviting individuals, startups and established companies to propose new tools and features that could be incorporated into the league’s OnePass events app.

The challenge is already open for entries.

“Just as the draft evaluates talent through discipline, data, and long-term fit, this initiative applies that same rigor to technology,” NFL Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Gary Brantley said in a release. “We are focused on identifying solutions that are scalable, secure and capable of enhancing the fan experience across every touchpoint — from local markets to global events.”

“Innovation at the NFL is not experimental for experimentation’s sake,” Brantley added.

The OnePass app aggregates not just NFL game days, but also international watch parties, scouting combines and, of course, the draft itself. The Draft Innovation Challenge has a goal of “transform(ing)” the app, which currently has only a 2.3-star rating on the App Store for iPhone and 2.7 stars in Apps on Google Play.

Three key areas of emphasis for improving OnePass are personalization, monetization and global engagement. The latter is in keeping with the NFL’s increased slate of international games and rumors of planned global expansion.

Befitting the league, the Draft Innovation Challenge will progress in four draft-themed stages: “Scouting (Apply), Combine (Finalist Selection), War Room (Virtual Qualifier) and Draft Day (Recognition).” Finalists chosen during the “War Room” phase will go before an in-person judging panel during the draft, with the winner receiving accolades during the event and “continued engagement” afterward. Entrants are expected to clear the threshold of minimum viable product, or “MVP.”

The NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh is already an important milestone for the city that goes beyond finding professional football’s next stars. In a city increasingly focused on tech and AI, the Draft Innovation Challenge could offer one of the biggest stages yet to locals pushing the virtual envelope.