What is it?Over 70 years ago, the National Football League in the United States introduced their player draft. Held over two days, the 2008 edition will be held on Saturday and Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

So what do I need to know about it?The player draft was first used in 1936 to distribute the coming talent more evenly throughout the league. The draft is the first chance each of the top 32 teams get at players who have been out of high school for three years, with most of the players coming directly out of college.

It's split into seven rounds, with each team allowed one selection in each, though teams are allowed trade their selection positions with each other.

And it's run from back to front, so the team with the worst record in 2007 - the Miami Dolphins, who won only one regular season game out of 16 - will get the first pick in each round, with the current Super Bowl champions - the New York Giants - picking last.

But why do they bother with a draft?It's seems timely to compare the NFL in America with the NFL in Ireland, given Meath and Dublin are believed to be considering trying out full-body pads and helmets in their next game.

If we had a draft for our football championship, Kerry, as reigning All-Ireland senior football champions, would be the last of the 32 teams to pick.

Kilkenny would probably get to go first - picking the cream from this season's Sigerson Cup - choosing the likes of Mark Vaughan from DIT or Michael Cussen from the Garda College. It would make for some interesting line-ups.

However, in the NFL draft rounds each team has only between five and 10 minutes to make their choice, which rules out most GAA managers from taking part as they need at least 65 minutes to pick a player from the bench in any game.

So does it work?The problem is, of course, clubs are taking a huge chance on players - they're buying potential, not talent. Many clubs send scouts to watch trials for the NFL draft (where, legend has it, they take players out into the woods and the ones that run around the trees are listed as running backs, and the ones that run into the trees become linemen).

But there have been incredible steals in the history of the NFL draft. Joe Montana - the quarterback who went on to win four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers - was only picked in the third round of the 1979 draft.

However, surely the greatest draft "steal" of all-time was Tom Brady - probably the greatest quarterback of this era. Brady was the 199th pick of the 2000 draft, finally chosen by the New England Patriots in the sixth round. So far in his career, he has repaid that decision by leading the Patriots to four Super Bowls and three titles.

So it's important in the US?The luck factor has contributed hugely in making the NFL draft so incredibly popular in America, and this weekend's event will be nationally televised in the US by NFL Network and ESPN, and over here on Saturday evening on Sky Sports.