One of ESPN's top NFL scouts and draft analysts, Todd McShay, will not be available on Thursday night for the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, as he announced on social media he is still recovering from a bout with the contagious coronavirus (COVID-19).

McShay, among the most common members of ESPN's yearly NFL draft coverage, shared a statement on Twitter on Thursday afternoon—the day of the draft—explaining why viewers will not see him on television that evening.

“I'm so sorry to tell you are I won't be working the NFL Draft this year,” McShay opened in his statement on Twitter. “I'm home recovering from the coronavirus.” He added,

“I also want to assure you I'll be back, thanks to the tireless work of healthcare workers and first responders. You are truly our nation's heroes.”

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McShay joined ESPN's NFL Draft broadcast in 2006 and has since become a fixture, alongside Mel Kiper Jr., in providing in-depth scouting reports for viewers tuning into the annual amateur-to-professional promotion.

In McShay's absence, viewers expect to witness an unprecedented draft for several reasons. First, the 2020 NFL Draft will be conducted remotely and virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning general managers and organizational staff will be working in conjunction with each other from war rooms in their own homes making picks, trades, and evaluations.

Second, there should be a few trades on the first night on Thursday given reports of the Miami Dolphins, for example, trying to move up and the Detroit Lions wanting to trade back.