The NFL Draft 2026 is about to distribute 257 players across seven rounds of selection spanning three days.
The Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick, followed by the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to be the first pick, having led Indiana to their first national title and won the annual Heisman Trophy for the best college player.
101GreatGoals.com explains when the NFL Draft 2026 starts and how to follow the action in the US and the UK.
What time does the Draft start? US and UK times 2026
The first round will be held on Thursday, April 23 at around 20:00 ET, which is 01:00 BST on Friday and 17:00 PT on Thursday.
Each team has eight minutes to submit their first-round selection, reduced from the previously allocated 10 minutes.
The first round takes place on Thursday. Rounds two and three are on Friday, followed by rounds four to seven on Saturday.
Asterisk denotes start time next day.
| Date | Round | ET start time | PT | BST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs, Apr 23 | 1 | 20:00 | 17:00 | 01:00 |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 2-3 | 19:00 | 16:00 | 00:00 |
| Sat, Apr 25 | 4-7 | 12:00 | 09:00 | 17:00 |
Where to watch the NFL Draft 2026 in the US and UK
In the US, fans can watch the Draft on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.
ABC is available through ESPN Plus, starting at $29.99 per month.
Disney Plus and Hulu will also stream ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes’ NFL Draft presentations throughout the event.
In the UK, the Draft is free to watch on DAZN’s NFL Game Pass.
How to watch the NFL Draft 2026: TV channel, live online stream
All of the broadcast platforms are available on a vast variety of devices including TVs and have accompanying ESPN and DAZN apps.
Here’s ESPN’s full schedule for the NFL 2026 Draft.
| Date | Time (ET) | Show | Where to watch |
| Thu, Apr 23 | 06:00 – 08:00 | UnSportsmanLike | ESPN2 |
| 07:00 – 08:00 | SportsCenter | ESPN | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Get Up | ESPN | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Good Morning Football | NFL Network, ESPN2 | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | UnSportsmanLike | ESPNU | |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | First Take | ESPN | |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | The Rich Eisen Show | ESPN, Disney+ | |
| 13:00 – 16:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | SportsCenter | ESPN | |
| 15:00 – 17:00 | NFL Live | ESPN | |
| 16:00 – 19:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 17:00 – 19:00 | College GameDay | ESPN | |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | NFL Draft Countdown | ESPN | |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 23:00 – 00:30 | SC with Scott Van Pelt | ESPN | |
| 23:00 – 00:30 | NFL Gameday Final | NFL Network | |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 06:00 – 08:00 | UnSportsmanLike | ESPN2 |
| 07:00 – 08:00 | SportsCenter | ESPN | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Get Up | ESPN | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Good Morning Football | NFL Network, ESPN2 | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | UnSportsmanLike | ESPNU | |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | First Take | ESPN | |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | The Pat McAfee Show | ESPN, ESPN App, YT | |
| 13:00 – 16:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | SportsCenter | ESPN | |
| 15:00 – 17:00 | NFL Live | ESPN | |
| 16:00 – 18:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | College GameDay | ESPN | |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | NFL Draft Countdown | ESPN | |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 23:00 – 00:30 | SC with Scott Van Pelt | ESPN | |
| 23:00 – 00:30 | NFL Gameday Final | NFL Network | |
| Sat, Apr 25 | 07:00 – 12:00 | SportsCenter | ESPN |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | NFL Draft Kickoff | NFL Network | |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | NFL Gameday Final | NFL Network |
What is the NFL Draft 2026 first-round order?
Here’s how the first round looks, although it could change if teams exchange trades.
| Pick | Team |
| 1 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2 | New York Jets |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans |
| 5 | New York Giants |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns |
| 7 | Washington Commanders |
| 8 | New Orleans Saints |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 10 | New York Giants |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 13 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 14 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 16 | New York Jets |
| 17 | Detroit Lions |
| 18 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 19 | Carolina Panthers |
| 20 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 22 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 23 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 24 | Cleveland Browns |
| 25 | Chicago Bears |
| 26 | Buffalo Bills |
| 27 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 28 | Houston Texans |
| 29 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 30 | Miami Dolphins |
| 31 | New England Patriots |
| 32 | Seattle Seahawks |