The lowest NFL picks will make 10X the salary of the engineers, computer scientists, etc. And likely haven’t taken the intense courses of the scientists.
Not to overgeneralize, but some NFL players graduated illiterate from college. Many would not have been admitted to college in the first place, much less given a four year free ride to attend the college that the science majors had to pay for or take out loans which they will have to repay eventually.
So I can’t say as it breaks my heart that they can’t choose their employer.
And it isn’t true that the others have their pick .. they first have to be offered a job. Many grads are turned down from their first, second, third choice employers. Some don’t get jobs for a long time. These NFL draftees have high paying jobs lined up before graduation ... and knew all through school that (barring injury) they would be drafted.
Rams go with Long at #2. Now things get interesting with Atlanta.
It may not break your heart that these athletes can't choose their employer, but it should at least concern anyone who is an advocate of free market economics.
Not to advocate specifically for the players, but I should point out that not all of these NFL draftees have jobs "lined up" before graduation. Some will be injured or cut from their teams before they even get an opportunity to play their first professional game. Yes, it can be very financially rewarding for some, but it's a very risky business.