When do college players become eligible for the NFL draft?

College players are eligible for the NFL draft after they have completed three seasons from the time they graduated high school. This requirement is in place to ensure that players have a certain level of maturity and experience before entering the professional league. Typically, this means that players who have entered college and played at least three full seasons of college football are considered draft-eligible, even if they haven't finished their degree.

The NFL’s eligibility rules also allow players to declare for the draft as soon as they finish their junior season, provided they've been out of high school for three years. This standard balances the interests of both the players, who have the opportunity to enter the professional ranks, and NFL teams, which benefit from selecting players who are more prepared to handle the demands of professional football.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the established eligibility criteria set by the NFL. For example, declaring eligibility after one or two seasons does not meet the NFL's requirement, while four seasons is more than what is necessary to be eligible.