Despite being an event centered on conversations unseen, a bland man stepping to a podium to talk awkwardly and waiting (lots and lots of waiting), the NFL Draft has become appointment viewing for Americans in recent years. Futures of franchises and players alike hang in the balance, after all, the draft order and team needs ever-shifting as owners and GMs wheel and deal. A total of 8.84 million viewers tuned in on Thursday night in 2015 to see Jameis Winston go first overall — and to see if further drama ensued.
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So how do you join that throng of viewers this year? Who might your team pick in the first round? We’re glad you asked. Our Sporting News NFL Draft hub will take you down a wondrous wormhole of draft history and analysis. And for now, here’s everything you need to know in order to watch the NFL Draft this weekend.
What does the latest mock draft say?
You can find Sporting News’ latest NFL Mock Draft in its entirety here. Spoiler alert: We see the Rams tabbing Jared Goff as their quarterback of the future, Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott is staying close to home and the man our resident scout named the best quarterback in the draft heads to Denver at pick no. 31.
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When is the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft begins Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET as the first round gets primetime treatment. Rounds 2 and 3 will resume on Friday starting at 7 p.m. ET, with the rest of the NFL Draft’s seven rounds culminating Saturday, beginning at noon.
What is the NFL Draft order?
Thanks to a move that allowed the Rams to trade up and put the Titans in prime position to load up, Los Angeles’s latest iteration of a franchise will get things started on Thursday. Here’s how the rest of Round 1 shapes up, with the Patriots notably absent thanks to a forfeited pick due to Deflategate fallout.
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Round 1 1. Los Angeles Rams (from Titans) 2. Philadelphia Eagles (from Browns) 3. San Diego Chargers 4. Dallas Cowboys 5. Jacksonville Jaguars 6. Baltimore Ravens 7. San Francisco 49ers 8. Cleveland Browns (from Eagles, via Dolphins) 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10. New York Giants 11. Chicago Bears 12. New Orleans Saints 13. Miami Dolphins (from Eagles) 14. Oakland Raiders 15. Tennessee Titans (from Rams) 16. Detroit Lions 17. Atlanta Falcons 18. Indianapolis Colts 19. Buffalo Bills 20. New York Jets 21. Washington Redskins 22. Houston Texans 23. Minnesota Vikings 24. Cincinnati Bengals 25. Pittsburgh Steelers 26. Seattle Seahawks 27. Green Bay Packers 28. Kansas City Chiefs 29. Arizona Cardinals 30. Carolina Panthers 31. Denver Broncos
You can find the rest of the round-by-round draft order at NFL.com.
What channel is showing the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft will be simulcast on ESPN and NFL Network, giving viewers a choice as to which set of draft “experts” and pundits they watch dissect hours of picks.
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How to watch the NFL Draft online:
The NFL Draft can be streamed on WatchESPN as well as the NFL’s website. Sporting News will also have a live tracker of the NFL Draft results, should you prefer to see who your team picks without hearing Mel Kiper or Mike Mayock wax poetic about prospects past, present and future.
