The 2024 NFL Draft is approaching fast, and soon, it’ll be right on the doorstep. It’s the next checkpoint for teams looking to compete, and it’s as important as advertised. Here’s all the information you need to prepare for the event — including dates, a start time, a location, and players to know.
When Is the NFL Draft in 2024?
- Draft Dates: Thursday, April 25 (Round 1) | Friday, April 26 (Rounds 2-3) | Sunday, April 27 (Rounds 4-7)
- Start Time: 8 p.m. ET (Thursday) | 7 p.m. ET (Friday) | Noon ET (Sunday)
- TV Channels: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
- Live Stream: ESPN and NFL Apps
The first day of the 2024 NFL Draft will take place on April 25. There, the top 32 prospects will come off the board to their respective teams.
Rounds 2 and 3 will take place on April 26, and the draft will close out with Rounds 4 through 7 on April 27.
Where Is the 2024 NFL Draft?
The 2024 NFL Draft will be hosted in Detroit, Michigan — home of the Detroit Lions. The event will be presented by Bud Light, and it will take place in downtown Detroit. According to Visit Detroit, the areas around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza will serve as the primary site for the event.
What Time Does the 2024 NFL Draft Start?
As has become tradition from year to year, the 2024 NFL Draft will commence at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 25. The first night will consist only of Round 1 picks.
Everything To Know For the 2024 NFL Draft
Time | Channel | Rules | Order
On Thursday, April 26, the second round will begin at 7 p.m. ET, and the second night’s festivities will carry on through Round 3. Day 3 picks will then be made on Sunday, April 27, starting at noon ET.
Once the 2024 NFL Draft concludes on April 27, all undrafted players will be free to sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Priority UDFAs are signed first, but the UDFA process often spans several days, and many more players are invited to minicamps.
First-Round NFL Draft Order
Using the final standings and playoff results of the 2023 NFL season, here is the NFL Draft order for the 2024 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns do not have a first-round pick this year.
1) Chicago Bears (from CAR)
2) Washington Commanders
3) New England Patriots
4) Arizona Cardinals
5) Los Angeles Chargers
6) New York Giants
7) Tennessee Titans
8) Atlanta Falcons
9) Chicago Bears
10) New York Jets
11) Minnesota Vikings
12) Denver Broncos
13) Las Vegas Raiders
14) New Orleans Saints
15) Indianapolis Colts
16) Seattle Seahawks
17) Jacksonville Jaguars
18) Cincinnati Bengals
19) Los Angeles Rams
20) Pittsburgh Steelers
21) Miami Dolphins
22) Philadelphia Eagles
23) Houston Texans (from CLE)
24) Dallas Cowboys
25) Green Bay Packers
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27) Arizona Cardinals (from HOU)
28) Buffalo Bills
29) Detroit Lions
30) Baltimore Ravens
31) San Francisco 49ers
32) Kansas City Chiefs
Top Prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft
Naturally, the quarterback prospects are generating the most interest in the 2024 NFL Draft. Chief among them is USC’s Caleb Williams.
Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and maintained his high level of play in 2023. He’s the favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, and his natural creation ability and arm talent have invited parallels to Patrick Mahomes.
That said, Williams isn’t the only QB prospect to know in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle. North Carolina’s Drake Maye is another passer who’s highly regarded in the scouting community with his athleticism, arm talent, and anticipation. He’s joined by other potential first-round QBs like Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix.
This class will have much more to offer beyond QB talent, of course. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is widely viewed as a near-generational WR prospect, with Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze right on his heels. And at tight end, Brock Bowers has broken the mold as a blue-chip talent.
The 2024 WR group is much stronger than the 2023 WR class, and the offensive line crop is impressive as well. Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt lead the way at tackle, while Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson stands tall on the interior.
On defense, Florida State’s Jared Verse, Alabama’s Dallas Turner, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, and Penn State’s Chop Robinson bolster the top of the EDGE group, while Illinois’ Johnny Newton and Texas’ Byron Murphy II loom large on the interior. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell both have a chance to be the first defender drafted.
Other defensive prospects to watch at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft watchlist include defensive back Cooper DeJean, defensive lineman Darius Robinson, cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Kool-Aid McKinstry, and linebacker Payton Wilson.
How Many Rounds Are in the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft consists of seven rounds. The first round will take place on Thursday, April 25. Rounds 2 and 3 will occur on Friday, April 26. Finally, Rounds 4-7 of the draft will transpire on Saturday, April 27.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce every pick of the first round live on stage in Detroit. A combination of NFL executives, former players, and other special guests will announce the subsequent rounds, although not all will be televised.
How Long Does Each Team Have To Pick?
Each team’s amount of time “on the clock” reduces as the draft proceeds. In the first round, each franchise receives 10 minutes to make their selection. That falls to seven minutes in Round 2, five in Rounds 3, 4, 5, and 6, and just four in Round 7.
NFL Draft rules are clear. If a team doesn’t make their pick or trade it before the clock expires, the next team in the order is officially on the clock. While they can still make their selection, it becomes a race to make the pick. If both teams want the same player, then whoever locks and sends their card up first owns the rights to said player.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!