High school students are clearly not qualified to be doctors, lawyers etc.....The education and licensing is required also necessary to protect the public. On the other hand, athletes may be fully competent to perform at a professional level at age 18. There is absolutely no reason why an athlete should not be able to be drafted coming out of high school. It should be solely up to the NFL teams to evaluate and decide. There is no issue of protecting the public as with the professions you mention. There is no equivalent rule for baseball, hockey, NASCAR, boxing, tennis, golf or even the military. Likewise, there is no such rule for other entertainers such as actors or musicians. While there is an age 19/one year out rule in basketball there is no reason for that either. Why 1 in basketball and 3 in football? Why none in any of the other sports/entertainment/military examples I provided? Please articulate any straight-faced reason why an 18 year old athlete shouldn't be able to NFL draft eligible. And no, the perpetuation of a free minor league for the NFL is not a straight faced reason.