How Does the NFL Make Personalized Player Jerseys So Quickly During the Draft?

The 2025 NFL Draft will kick off its first round on April 24 at 8 p.m. ET, live from Green Bay. Prospects like Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, and even Shedeur Sanders are expected to hear their names called — by some likely teams, and maybe a few surprises. It’s that annual tradition we tune into with or without popcorn, whether we’re posted up at the local bar or grabbing a late-night bite at the diner.

And if you’re anything like us, there’s probably one question that’s crossed your mind during draft night, then slipped away by the next pick: How does the league manage to whip up those personalized jerseys so fast? Like, minutes after the name is called, there’s Roger Goodell holding it up. What’s the secret?

Any football nut knows that every NFL team has its own unique font, number style, and nameplate design. And while the number is usually the same on Draft Day—typically a No. 1 jersey for quarterbacks and kickers—the name is where things get tricky.

Think about it: the league would need thousands of jerseys in various sizes, all customized and ready to go the moment a pick is announced. However, while some of those steps are prepared in advance, it doesn’t happen the way you might expect.

The NFL actually has a jersey vault on-site, right behind the grand stage where the pick is announced. There’s a highly trained team that takes care of business efficiently, and they can stick a name on the back of the jersey in a matter of minutes—specifically, in under two. They use an industrial-grade heat press to make the job easy.

But those two minutes might not sound like a lot of time. And it’s not. Sometimes, everything moves so quickly. But the jersey is never delayed. Why? Well, on draft day, it might seem like picks are made in a hurry, but that’s rarely the case. Teams often declare their pick to the NFL commissioner a few minutes before it’s officially announced. That’s how the backstage team gets a bit of a head start.

Since they already have jerseys available in multiple sizes and with the number already slapped on, all the backstage guys need to do is pick the team, the font, and the nameplate. After running it through the heat press, it’s ready for display. But… there’s more.

Sometimes, more than one jersey is made for the draftee. While the initial one that players display to the world with Goodell might look complete, it may not be ready to wear. So, those extra ones, carefully crafted ones, can be given to the players for a photo-op. There’s also another jersey that’s created specifically for trading card packs.

All these steps are essential if a team wants to sell their merch. Imagine rooting for a college prospect to be picked by your team—a player you never thought would land in your city—but it somehow happens. Even if it takes trading up, your team still gets it done with a bit of luck.

That jersey in hand might be all it takes during your celebration to pull out your credit card and place a pre-order. It actually happened with Caleb Williams when he was picked by the Chicago Bears first overall last year. He promptly went on to break Fanatics’ record for draft night sales across all picks and all sports.

Caleb Williams broke Fanatics' record for draft night merch sales for any draft pick in ANY sport 🤯

The previous record was set by Caitlin Clark just last week

(via @Fanatics) pic.twitter.com/4HLAfGtnOd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2024

Details matter! And here’s another one worth knowing: the unused jerseys from draft night are actually donated to charity. That’s a pretty great cause.