The next season of the NFL doesn’t start until this fall, but true football fans know that the game behind the game lasts all year.
For decades, the NFL draft has allowed the most passionate fans to follow their favorite teams as they select rookies from the ranks of the best players in college.
The NFL draft itself has become a major production, with more ways to watch than ever before.
To get you ready for the behind-the-scenes drama, Watch With Us has put together a guide for everything you need to know about the 2025 NFL draft.
What Time Does the NFL Draft 2025 Take Place?
Following NFL tradition, the draft will take place over three days.
The first round of the NFL draft 2025 will begin on Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST. Night 1 will cover the first round of the draft.
Night two of the draft begins on Friday, April 25, at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST. Both the second and the third rounds will be televised.
Rounds four through seven will begin on Saturday, April 26, at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST. The draft will conclude once the 257th pick is made.
Where Can You Watch the NFL Draft 2025?
There are three primary options: ABC, ESPN networks, and the NFL Network. All three offer different broadcast teams and commentators.
NFL Network will begin its coverage on Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST with host Rich Eisen alongside Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis and Joel Klatt on the main desk. Kurt Warner and Ian Rapoport will be on hand for analysis of the draft picks with Jamie Erdahl. Day 2 coverage will begin on Friday, April 25, at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST, and day 3 coverage starts on Saturday, April 26, at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST.
ABC’s coverage will follow the same schedule, but the featured host will be Rece Davis, who will appear with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Field Yates, Laura Rutledge and Pete Thamel. ABC’s coverage is also slated to feature profiles of the individual college players who are hoping for a chance to play in the NFL.
ESPN’s coverage of the draft will differ from ABC’s in its emphasis on players’ stats and performance in college as well as the specific needs of each NFL team. Host Mike Greenberg will welcome longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. as well as Booger McFarland, Louis Riddick, Molly McGrath and Adam Schefter.
The first ESPN broadcast will begin on Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST. ESPN 2 will broadcast the second and third rounds on Friday, April 25, at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST. Finally, the coverage of day 3 will begin on Saturday, April 26, at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST.
Why Does the NFL Draft Take So Long?
For drama! That is actually part of the answer. This is a TV production as much as it’s a sporting event, but it also plays to the advantage of the team that holds the draft pick. In the first round, teams get 10 minutes before they have to make a selection. That gives other teams enough time to potentially offer a trade to move into a higher slot. As long as the deal is closed within that short window of time, it can go forward.
Courtesy of Bryce Watts Hansen/Instagram While the best players in the NFL are millionaires many times over, it’s not as easy for the rest of the league. The NFL minimum salary for rookies was $795,000 in 2024, representing the smallest payday of any of the league’s nearly 1,700 active players who stay signed all year. […]
Who’s Picking First in This Year’s Draft?
The Tennessee Titans have the first pick of the draft, unless the team decides to take an offer from another NFL franchise before announcing its selection.
This year’s Super Bowl champion, the Philadelphia Eagles, will get the final selection of the first round. The complete draft order is included below.
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles
