The 2026 NFL Draft is tonight. Here’s when and how to watch.

The 2026 NFL Draft, one of the league’s marquee events, begins Thursday night at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This marks the unofficial start of the new season, when all 32 teams, supported by their hopeful fans, arrive with a new roster and an opportunity to tackle the biggest weaknesses in their squads.

What is the start time for the NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft and its festivities begin Thursday around 8 p.m. EDT.

Pittsburgh native KELS is set to sing the national anthem, and the National Hymn Choir of the James Weldon Johnson Foundation, along with the Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, will perform “Lift every voice and sing“.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is announcing the 32 first-round selections, will make introductory comments before the draft itself kicks off. The NFL said selections for Rounds 2 and 3 would be announced by current and former stars.

Barring any shocking last-minute trades, the Las Vegas Raiders will be first on the board with the No. 1 overall pick. Once on the clock, teams will each have eight minutes to make their first-round selection – a decrease from previous years, when they had 10 minutes.

In the second round, teams will have seven minutes to choose their players, and in rounds 3 through 6, they will have five minutes.

On day seven, teams only have four minutes to make their selection.

A total of 257 players will be selected over the seven rounds. The player chosen last receives the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant“.

What is the schedule for each round of the 2026 NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft takes place over three days, from Thursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 25.

The first round will take place Thursday evening and coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EDT.

Rounds 2 and 3 will take place on Friday, with selections beginning at 7 p.m. EDT.

Rounds 4-7 will take place Saturday, with selections beginning at 12 p.m. EDT.

How can you watch the 2026 NFL Draft on cable?

All three days of the NFL Draft will be available on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the NFL Network.

Where can you stream the 2026 NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft can be watched on several streaming platforms, including the ABC app, ESPN app, NFL+ and Hulu+ Live TV. It will also be available on live TV streaming apps including YouTube TV and Fubo TV.

Where is the 2026 NFL Draft taking place?

For the first time since 1948, the NFL draft takes place in Pittsburghometown of the Steelers, one of the league’s most iconic and winningest franchises.

The draft will take place at Acrisure Stadium, while the interactive NFL Fan Festival will take place just across the Allegheny River at Point State Park.

The NFL expects hundreds of thousands of fans to be in attendance during the draft. The league estimates that 600,000 people attended the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay for his three days.