NFL Draft kicks off Thursday
- Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday night, April 23, in Pittsburgh. (nytimes.com) - The Athletic’s full seven‑round order confirms all 257 picks and the draft’s schedule. (nytimes.com) - Coverage is already shifting toward final board positioning, trades, and top‑quarterback fits. (nytimes.com)
The 2026 National Football League draft opens Thursday, April 23, with Round 1 starting at 8 p.m. Eastern in Pittsburgh. (nfl.com) The draft runs three days, with Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. Eastern and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 25, at noon Eastern. The league says the event will be staged around Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park. (nfl.com) This year’s draft has 257 total picks across seven rounds. The National Football League awarded 33 compensatory picks to 15 teams in March, filling out the back of the draft order. (operations.nfl.com) The order is now set from start to finish, which shifts attention from standings to roster strategy. Teams use the final days before Round 1 to sort medical reports, stack their boards, and weigh trade offers against staying put. (espn.com) Las Vegas holds the No. 1 pick, followed by the New York Jets at No. 2 and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3. ESPN’s full order lists Denver at No. 257, the final pick of the draft. (espn.com) Not every team enters Thursday with a first-round selection. ESPN reported last month that the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Indianapolis Colts were out of Round 1 after earlier trades reshaped the board. (espn.com) Pittsburgh has not hosted the draft since 1948, according to National Football League Football Operations. The league says the 2026 event is the 91st edition of the draft. (operations.nfl.com) Fans can watch Day 1 on National Football League Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes, with the same outlets carrying the later rounds. The league is also offering free entry to the fan event through NFL OnePass registration. (nfl.com) By Thursday night, the questions narrow from months of prospect rankings to 32 first-round decisions. After that, the board starts moving for real. (espn.com)
