Counting compensatory picks, there will be 254 selections made in the NFL draft, which is just a few weeks away, running from April 25 to 27.

A total of 254 players will have their dreams of hearing their names called fulfilled on a big stage and under the bright lights. The biggest stars among them will have friends and family in attendance in anticipation of being selected in Thursday's first round.

They will get to the stage, many of them wearing expensive suits. They will shake hands, and then they will be given ball caps from their new teams to put on their heads. And this is the point many of them might wish they had chosen a different sport or even a different line of work.

Why? The caps for almost every team, made by New Era, were unveiled Tuesday. And, with a few exceptions, they are not exactly appealing and are not playing to rave reviews with fans.

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.