Home » NFL Draft 2024 dates, start time, pick order, TV channels & updated mock drafts | Sporting News United Kingdom

NFL Draft 2024 dates, start time, pick order, TV channels & updated mock drafts | Sporting News United Kingdom

NFL Draft 2024 dates, start time, pick order, TV channels & updated mock drafts | Sporting News United Kingdom

The 2024 NFL Draft is just about here, and the theme is offense.

The quarterback class is star-studded, the receiving crop is deep and the group of franchise offensive tackles could be plentiful. Oh, and Brock Bowers just might turn into one of the NFL’s best tight ends if he comes anywhere close to reaching his potential.

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Anywhere between four-to-six quarterbacks are expected to come off the board in the first round, which could allow some premier talent to slide down to teams that already have franchise signal callers in place. 

While generational defensive talent won’t be found in this draft, an impressive group of cornerbacks plus potential franchise pass-rushers in Dallas Turner and Jared Verse will leave teams with plenty of opportunity to upgrade.

Here’s a complete guide to the 2024 NFL Draft, including dates, start times and how to watch the selections.

MORE: Watch the 2024 NFL Draft live with Fubo (free trial)

When is the NFL Draft in 2024?

  • Date: Thursday, April 25 (Round 1) | Friday, April 26 (Rounds 2-3) | Saturday, April 27 (Rounds 4-7)
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Thursday) | 7 p.m. ET (Friday) | Noon ET (Saturday)
  • TV channels: ABC | ESPN | NFL Network
  • Live stream: ESPN and NFL apps | ESPN+ | Fubo

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held from Thursday, April 25 to Saturday, April 27. Round 1 will take place Thursday, Rounds two and three will occur Friday. Saturday will feature the final four rounds of the event.

A total of 257 selections will be made during the NFL Draft. The Bears hold the No. 1 overall pick, a year after they earned the top pick but traded it to the Panthers. Carolina earned this year’s No. 1 pick, but that selection was dealt to Chicago as part of last year’s deal between the two teams. The last pick, which will be used on the newest “Mr. Irrelevant,” is currently owned by the Jets.

What time does the NFL Draft start?

Date Round(s) Start time
Thursday, April 25 1 8 p.m. ET
Friday, April 26 2-3 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 27 4-7 Noon ET

The 2024 NFL Draft will start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 25. Commissioner Roger Goodell will come to the podium in Detroit, say a few words, and declare the draft officially open. The Bears will then be on the clock with the No. 1 pick, and all teams will have 10 minutes to make their selections Thursday.

Friday’s draft action will start at 7 p.m. ET, with teams receiving seven minutes to pick in the second round and five minutes to pick in the third round.

The final day of the NFL Draft starts in its customary noon E.T. slot, with teams quickly making picks over the final four rounds. Each team has five minutes to pick in rounds 4-6, and the timer drops to four minutes in the seventh round. Teams often make their picks even quicker than necessary Saturday, so the selections could come in rapid succession. 

MORE: Ranking the top 10 wide receivers in loaded 2024 draft

NFL Draft TV schedule

The NFL Draft will again be widely available to watch in 2024. The event will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN all three days, along with NFL Network.

If you have a cable or satellite provider, you will also be able to watch the draft using both the ESPN and NFL apps.

Round(s) Date Start time TV channels
1 Thursday, April 25 8 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
2-3 Friday, April 26 7 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
4-7 Saturday, April 27 Noon ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network

Meanwhile, in Canada, users will be able to catch the NFL Draft on TSN. TSN and TSN 4 will carry coverage of the first two nights of the draft while Day 3 can be watched on TSN+. 

How to live stream the NFL Draft

  • Live stream (U.S.): ESPN app | ESPN+ | NFL app | NFL+ | Fubo
  • Live stream (Canada): DAZN

There will be numerous ways to live stream the NFL Draft in 2024. Cable subscribers can simply log in and watch coverage of the draft on the ESPN or NFL apps. Additionally, ESPN+ or NFL+ subscribers will be able to stream the draft using those respective services.

Meanwhile, those that don’t have cable can turn to Fubo, which comes with a free trial, to see coverage from both ESPN and NFL Network.

Canadian fans will be able to stream the event using DAZN, which includes NFL Network coverage s a part of its streaming package.

NFL Draft order 2024

The Bears will lead off the 2024 NFL Draft a year after they traded the top pick to Carolina. This year, the selection ironically comes from the Panthers.

The Commanders, Bears and Cardinals will round out the top four, pending a trade, while three more teams inside the top eight (Chargers, Titans and Falcons) all have new head coaches and are looking forward to a fresh start in 2024.

Here’s the complete order of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Round Pick Team
1 1 Chicago Bears (from CAR)
1 2 Washington Commanders
1 3 New England Patriots
1 4 Arizona Cardinals
1 5 Los Angeles Chargers
1 6 New York Giants
1 7 Tennessee Titans
1 8 Atlanta Falcons
1 9 Chicago Bears
1 10 New York Jets
1 11 Minnesota Vikings
1 12 Denver Broncos
1 13 Las Vegas Raiders
1 14 New Orleans Saints
1 15 Indianapolis Colts
1 16 Seattle Seahawks
1 17 Jacksonville Jaguars
1 18 Cincinnati Bengals
1 19 Los Angeles Rams
1 20 Pittsburgh Steelers
1 21 Miami Dolphins
1 22 Philadelphia Eagles
1 23 Minnesota Vikings (from CLE through HOU)
1 24 Dallas Cowboys
1 25 Green Bay Packers
1 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 27 Arizona Cardinals (from HOU)
1 28 Buffalo Bills
1 29 Detroit Lions
1 30 Baltimore Ravens
1 31 San Francisco 49ers
1 32 Kansas City Chiefs

MORE: Complete history of Bears’ No. 1 overall picks

2024 NFL mock draft

The top pick of the 2024 NFL Draft became much more obvious when the Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers and opened up their quarterback room for a new addition, but what about the rest?

Uncertainty likely begins at No. 2, where the Commanders haven’t been shy about their desire to draft a quarterback but two blue-chip prospects appear to be in play. Beyond the quarterbacks, Marvin Harrison Jr. leads a talented group of pass-catchers that could define the first round beyond the first three picks.

SN’s Vinnie Iyer recently released a 2024 seven-round mock draft. Here’s a look at his projections for the top five picks and his commentary on the choices:

1. Chicago Bears (from Panthers)

  • Caleb Williams, QB, USC (6-1, 214 pounds)

The Bears are locked into Williams with their investment in a new offensive coaching staff and key personnel. They will feel much better about him being finally the long-term franchise solution as they move on from Justin Fields.

2. Washington Commanders (4-13 last season)

  • Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina (6-4, 223 pounds)

The Commanders are doing well to mask their QB of choice with this pick, but Maye has been the No. 2 option behind Williams since early in the process with little more to prove regarding his arm, accuracy, and athleticism.

3. New England Patriots (4-13)

  • Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU (6-4, 210 pounds)

The Patriots are blowing up their offense minus Mac Jones and should want to reboot with a big-armed, dynamic runner to push up their QB ceiling again. Daniels, the reigning Heisman winner succeeding Williams, fits that mold.

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-13)

  • Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (6-3, 202 pounds)

The Cardinals need a dominant new No. 1 target for Kyler Murray, so should Harrison last here thanks to the QB run, he’s a no-brainer.

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)

  • Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia (6-3, 243 pounds)

Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman cleared top wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for cap and schematic purposes in creating a new offense around Justin Herbert. They did get some backup-level options in free agency, but Bowers can be the new Mark Andrews for Roman as Herbert’s new go-to guy.

2024 NFL Draft prospects

Like 2023, the top of the 2024 NFL Draft will be headlined by quarterbacks. USC QB Caleb Williams is widely considered the No. 1 overall prospect, and he’s expected to be followed by at least two more quarterbacks when the Commanders and Patriots make their selections.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the top three prospects at all quarterbacks, but the sheer value of the position plus the needs of the teams at the top of the order make it likely the draft will start out with at least three signal callers.

Missing from the cream of the crop are premier defensive prospects, as quarterbacks, offensive weapons and offensive tackles figure to define the top 10 picks in Detroit.

Here’s a look at SN’s Vinnie Iyer’s top 10 prospects on his 2024 NFL Draft big board.

  1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC
  2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
  3. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
  4. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
  5. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
  6. Jayden Daniels, WR, LSU
  7. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
  8. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
  9. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
  10. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State