Why are there only 31 picks in the first round of the NFL Draft?

Later this week, fanbases across the globe are going to be fired up to see who their team ends up going with in the first round of the NFL Draft. With each of the 31 picks, there's going to be plenty of drama.

However, there's only 31 first-round selections to be made and not 32? Just what in the heck is going on here? In case you missed it, the Dolphins were forced to forfeit their 2023 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-rounder for 'integrity of the game' violations.

The Dolphins don't have a first-round pick in 2023

Last summer, the NFL announced the loss of the NFL Draft picks, plus that owner Stephen Ross was suspended through Oct. 17 of 2022. This all went down because an investigation found that Miami had violated tampering rules with quarterback Tom Brady (before he retired) and head coach Sean Payton.

In addition to that, Brian Flores' head-turning lawsuit against Miami accused Ross and the team of a pattern of racist hiring practices and racial discrimination as a whole in the NFL. Flores had also accused Ross of offering him $100,000 per loss so that the Dolphins could 'tank' to try and get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Miami is coming off a disappointing season, and now they only have four total picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. It's been a busy offseason for the AFC East side, but fans remain bummed that no star playmaker will be on the way come draft night on April 27.

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