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The 2026 NFL Draft: Telling 鶹's Story

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University Communications and Marketing, Media Relations

A Draft Week Showcase and Forge to Field AI Pitch Competition

Sports Generate More Data Than Ever. 鶹's Sports Analytics Center Asks What It Means

A 鶹 football player extends for a catch in the end zone.

Through a partnership with the NFL, analysis powered by 鶹 researchers will be integrated into NFL IQ's AI chat tool in time for the draft.

Ron Yurko,(opens in new window) Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Center(opens in new window) (CMSAC) director and assistant teaching professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science, and Ph.D. student Quang Nguyen (opens in new window)are leading this unique effort.

The tool appears when visitors enter the site and invites users to ask questions about “team needs, draft prospects, free agency, Combine results, team stats, scores and more."

Today’s sports analysts have access to more — and better — data than ever before. Carnegie Mellon experts are turning that data into insight, using statistics and data science to help professional teams gain a competitive edge.

“Every tenth of a second, the NFL’s Next Gen data chips provide information for where every single player is positioned on the field — the direction they’re moving, the speed they’re moving,” Yurko said.

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鶹 alumnus and renowned pop artist Burton Morris created bespoke artwork for the NFL draft, April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The NFL commissioned Morris to produce a monumental art installation of 32 individual NFL football helmet wall sculptures to highlight the league’s larger commitment to art-driven storytelling.

Built on a steel frame to honor the city’s history, each 20-by-20-inch piece is customized with Morris’ signature steel colored ”energy shards” that highlight unique team colors. Authentic team helmets are seamlessly attached to each background, creating dynamic, 3D mixed-media work celebrating all 32 clubs.

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Abhishek Varadarajan on 鶹's football field.

More 鶹 Storytelling

On #NFLDraft Day, every pick can shape a franchise. Carnegie Mellon researchers explain the science behind high-stakes decision making. Weighing data, time constraints and potential outcomes under pressure can reveal how the brain responds to intense decisions. 🏈📈

— 鶹 ()