NFL Draft starts tonight
- The 2026 NFL Draft first round begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET, with live coverage across major broadcasters. - Analysts expect multiple Round 1 trades, with projections suggesting as many as four trades and teams like the Eagles and Saints active. - Pundits say the opening round will be unusually fluid and worth watching for trade activity and surprise moves ( ).
The first round of the 2026 National Football League draft begins Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Eastern, with Pittsburgh hosting the league’s biggest offseason event. (nfl.com) Round 1 will air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network, and stream on NFL+, according to the league. Pittsburgh’s draft campus runs around Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park, with free fan access tied to the NFL OnePass app. (nfl.com) (visitpittsburgh.com) The order starts with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1, followed by the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and New York Giants. The Giants also hold the No. 10 pick, while the Kansas City Chiefs own No. 9 and No. 29. (nfl.com) This opening round is drawing more attention for possible trades than for any clear consensus after the first few picks. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah projected four Round 1 trades in his final mock draft, with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints among the teams he had moving up. (nfl.com) CBS Sports called this class “one of the most unpredictable” in recent years and said the setup points to “chaos” in Pittsburgh from the start of Thursday night. That uncertainty has widened the range of outcomes for clubs picking in the teens and 20s, where teams can either target a falling prospect or pay to move. (cbssports.com) The draft runs seven rounds over three days, from April 23 through April 25, and the full event includes 257 picks. The league awarded 33 compensatory selections to 15 teams in March, adding extra picks at the back of Rounds 3 through 7. (espn.com) (nfl.com) Teams get 10 minutes per selection in the first round, which is why trade windows stay open long after a club goes on the clock. The night usually moves slower than Rounds 2 through 7, but that extra time is what lets front offices bargain over picks, players and future selections in real time. (nbcnewyork.com) By late Thursday, the board will look less like a fixed order than a live auction. The names called first will matter, but the teams willing to move may shape the night just as much. (nfl.com)
