What time does NFL draft start? Everything you need to know about first-round pick times
The 2025 NFL Draft is nearly here, and all 32 of the league's teams presently have something to look forward to on the first day of the event.
Each of the NFL's clubs owns its first-round pick entering the 2025 NFL Draft. That seems unlikely to hold up, especially with the end of the first round representing a potential sweet spot for teams to trade up for quarterbacks.
Still, it marks the first time in decades that each fan base can definitively expect something to happen in the first round, whether it's a selection or a trade.
As such, NFL fans will be paying close attention to the first round of the draft. Here's what to know about the event's start time and when to expect the picks to be announced.
What time does NFL draft start?
- Date: Thursday, April 24
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
The NFL draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. The broadcast of the event's first night will end at 11:30 p.m. ET, but the last of the evening's 32 picks will likely occur before that, sometime between 10:45 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. ET.
What time will the first NFL draft pick be announced?
The first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft will be announced shortly after the draft's 8 p.m. ET start time.
Typically, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opens the draft with a brief speech before declaring that the team with the No. 1 pick – in this case, the Tennessee Titans – is "on the clock." The Titans will then have 10 minutes to make their selection.
If everything is on time, that should put the first pick of the 2025 NFL draft to be announced between 8:10 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. ET.
NFL draft pick times
Every team has 10 minutes to mull their selections in the first round of the NFL draft. Some teams will use the entire clock before turning in their pick but most teams will use less than the allotted 10 minutes.
As such, it is difficult to accurately project exactly when each first-round pick will be announced.
2025 NFL Draft order
All 32 NFL teams enter the 2025 draft owning their first-round pick. The Titans are scheduled to own the top selection, as they were one of three teams to finish with a 3-14 record but played a weaker schedule than the Browns and Giants.
Below is a look at the full draft order for the first round.
- Tennessee Titans: 3-14 record; .522 strength of schedule (SOS)
- Cleveland Browns: 3-14; .536 SOS
- New York Giants: 3-14; .554 SOS
- New England Patriots: 4-13; .471 SOS
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-13; .478 SOS
- Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13; .540 SOS
- New York Jets: 5-12; .495 SOS
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12; .498 SOS
- New Orleans Saints: 5-12; .505 SOS
- Chicago Bears: 5-12; .554 SOS
- San Francisco 49ers: 6-11; .564 SOS
- Dallas Cowboys: 7-10; .522 SOS
- Miami Dolphins: 8-9; .419 SOS
- Indianapolis Colts: 8-9; .457 SOS
- Atlanta Falcons: 8-9; .519 SOS
- Arizona Cardinals: 8-9; .536 SOS
- Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8; .478 SOS
- Seattle Seahawks: 10-7; .498 SOS
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7; .502 SOS
- Denver Broncos: 10-7; .502 SOS
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7; .502 SOS
- Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6; .467 SOS
- Green Bay Packers: 11-6; .533 SOS
- Minnesota Vikings: 14-3; .474 SOS
- Houston Texans: 10-7; .481 SOS
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-7; .505 SOS
- Baltimore Ravens: 12-5; .529 SOS
- Detroit Lions: 15-2; .516 SOS
- Washington Commanders: 12-5; .436 SOS
- Buffalo Bills: 13-4; .467 SOS
- Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2; .488 SOS
- Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3; .453 SOS
How to watch 2025 NFL Draft
NFL fans will have various options to watch the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will broadcast the event on TV. Cord cutters will also be able to stream the draft live on NFL+, ESPN+ or Fubo, which comes with a free trial.
Here is the day-by-day breakdown for how to watch the event:
Thursday, April 24
- TV channels: ABC | ESPN | NFL Network
- Live streams: Fubo | ESPN+ | NFL+
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
Friday, April 25
- TV channels: ABC | ESPN2 | NFL Network
- Live streams: Fubo | ESPN+ | NFL+
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 26
- TV channels: ABC | ESPN | NFL Network
- Live streams: Fubo | ESPN+ | NFL+
- Start time: Noon ET