NFL Draft: dates and buzz

The 2026 National Football League draft will run April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, with Round 1 on Thursday night and seven rounds packed into three days. (nfl.com) The league says the draft will be staged at Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park, the first time Pittsburgh has hosted since 1948. The event includes 257 picks, and the clock for first-round selections has been cut from 10 minutes to eight. (operations.nfl.com) Television coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, April 23, then resumes at 7 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 24 for Rounds 2 and 3, and at noon Eastern on Saturday, April 25 for Rounds 4 through 7. NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes are carrying the draft. (nfl.com) The order at the top helps explain why quarterback talk is driving so much of the final-week noise. The Las Vegas Raiders hold No. 1, the New York Jets pick No. 2, and the Arizona Cardinals sit at No. 3 with quarterback listed among their biggest needs. (nfl.com) That setup has pushed Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson into the center of late buzz. Bleacher Report, citing CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, said Thursday that Simpson’s name is being heard “a little bit more in the first round,” with Arizona tied to him as a possible trade-up team. (bleacherreport.com) ESPN’s latest draft buzz report said scouts and executives are swapping fresh intel on prospect ranges, Day 2 steals and possible Round 1 trades, while also zeroing in on team-specific questions for the Eagles, Giants and Steelers. ESPN separately lists the Giants at No. 5, the Steelers at No. 21 and the Eagles at No. 23 in Round 1. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) (espn.com 3) (espn.com 4) Another name climbing in the final week is North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly. Sports Illustrated reported that Joly enters the draft with “legitimate momentum” after winning Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player honors and posting nearly 500 receiving yards with seven touchdowns in 2025. (si.com) The late movement is not just about stars at the top of the board. ESPN’s Friday buzz piece framed the class around wider uncertainty too, including Caleb Downs’ draft range, the thin defensive tackle group and whether Round 1 will produce at least five trades for a fourth straight year. (espn.com) For fans heading downtown, the league says entry to the draft experience is free with registration through the NFL OnePass app or the league’s draft access site, and player appearance schedules begin rolling out April 20. By next Thursday night, the rumors around quarterbacks, tight ends and trade calls turn into picks on the clock. (nfl.com)