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2026 NFL Draft: Here’s how to watch

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Published  April 22, 2026 11:28am EDT
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FILE-The stage is shown with the NFL logo at the NFL Draft. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

The Brief 

    • The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday, April 23 with the first round.
    • Rounds 2-3 of the draft will be held on Friday, April 24 and rounds 4-7 take place on Saturday, April 25.
    • The Las Vegas Raiders own the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

Teams searching for the next face of their franchise will have a chance to pick some of the top college football prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

Dig deeper:

The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from April 23 to April 25. 

  • Thursday, April 23: Round 1 (8 p.m. ET)
  • Friday, April 24: Rounds 2-3 (7 p.m. ET)
  • Saturday, April 25: Rounds 4-7 (Noon ET)

This year’s draft is being held in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1948, and a total of 257 picks will be made by NFL teams through seven rounds over a three-day period. 

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How can I watch the 2026 NFL Draft?

What you can do:

Viewers can watch the draft on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network, and it’s available on streaming platforms like NFL+, Fubo, and the ESPN app.

Which teams are picking in the top 10 this year?

Local perspective:

NFL teams selecting in the top 10 of the 2026 NFL Draft earned their slot based on their records last season. The team with the league’s worst record gets the first overall pick.

  1. Las Vegas Raiders
  2. New York Jets
  3. Arizona Cardinals
  4. Tennessee Titans
  5. New York Giants
  6. Cleveland Browns
  7. Washington Commanders
  8. New Orleans Saints
  9. Kansas City Chiefs
  10. Cincinnati Bengals

Separately, a total of 33 compensatory draft selections in the 2026 NFL Draft have been granted to 15 teams. Rules for compensatory draft selections are as follows:

A team losing more or better compensatory free agents (CFAs) than it acquired in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The compensatory picks are positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost, according to NFL.com. 

Who are the top NFL prospects in this year’s draft?

Big picture view: Some of the biggest names in college football this season are projected to go in the early rounds, and these are the prospects to watch. 

  • Fernando Mendoza (QB) Indiana
  • Arvell Reese (Edge Rusher) Ohio State
  • David Bailey (LB) Texas Tech
  • Jeremiyah Love (RB) Notre Dame
  • Carnell Tate (WR) Ohio State
  • Reuben Bain (Edge Rusher) Miami
  • Sonny Styles (LB) Ohio State
  • Mansoor Delane (CB) LSU
  • Caleb Downs (S) Ohio State
  • Jordan Tyson (WR) Arizona State
  • Jermod McCoy (CB) Tennessee
  • Francis Mauigoa (OT) Miami
  • Spencer Fano (OT) Utah
  • Makai Lemon (WR) USC
  • Olaivavega Loane (G) Penn State
  • Kenyon Sadiq (TE) Oregon

The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Athletic and NFL.com. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.

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