As a new NFL season nears, it’s time to see where the league’s next crop of potential superstars will play.
The 2026 NFL Draft will begin tonight, April 23, with later rounds airing on Friday and Saturday. The draft, as always, comes with plenty of intrigue, though the Las Vegas Raiders’ first overall pick this year seems to be a lock. Heismann winner and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the widely projected first overall pick this year.
RELATED: Check out noti.group’s seven-round mock drafts for the Jets and Giants
Arvell Reese, Jeremiyah Love, Caleb Downs and David Bailey are also considered top prospects, and it’s a big year for quarterbacks with Alabama’s Ty Simpson, Miami’s Carson Beck and Penn State’s Drew Allar all available.
Both the New York Jets and the New York Giants will pick within the top five; the Jets will go second overall, with the Giants selecting fifth.
2026 NFL Draft: What to Know
- When: April 23, 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Channel: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
- Streaming: DIRECTV
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to the next three days of NFL Draft action.
2026 NFL Draft start time
The first round of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET tonight, April 23.
The draft continues tomorrow, April 24, at 7 p.m. for Rounds 2 and 3, while Rounds 4 through 7 will take place on Saturday, April 25 at 12 p.m. ET.
How to watch the 2026 NFL Draft for free:
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the NFL Draft for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching sports live for free. Both the Choice plan and the MySports Genre Pack include all of the channels you’ll need for the NFL Draft, including ESPN and ABC. The Choice plan starts at $59.99, while MySports is $44.99 for your first two months; both packages come with a five-day free trial.
You can also tune in to the NFL Draft with fubo’s Pro or Sports and News plans. Live TV plans from fubo start at $44.99 and also include a five-day free trial.
What channel is the NFL Draft on?
The NFL Draft will air on three different channels, all offering slightly different coverage.
ABC will highlight the players, their families and their journeys to the NFL. Rece Davis will be the main anchor, joined by “College GameDay” hosts Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and Desmond Howard.
ESPN‘s draft coverage will focus on the football side of the draft. Mike Greenberg will lead coverage alongside Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland, Louis Riddick and Adam Schefter. Laura Rutledge will interview newly drafted players.
If you prefer more analytical draft coverage, NFL Network will be your best bet. Rich Eisen will host his 20th NFL Draft, with Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Joel Klatt, Ian Rapoport and Kurt Warner.
All three networks will air Taylor McGregor’s coverage live from presumed first overall pick Fernando Mendoza’s home in Miami, Florida. Mendoza opted to stay home for draft night to be with his family; his mother has multiple sclerosis, which affects her mobility.
2026 NFL Draft order – First Round:
This year’s NFL Draft has 257 picks. The Tennessee Titans landed the first overall pick after finishing with the worst record (3-14) in the league last season and having a weaker “strength of schedule” than the other bottom-finishing teams, the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New York Giants (from Cincinnati)
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta)
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Jets (from Indianapolis)
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Carolina Panthers
- Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay)
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville)
- Chicago Bears
- Buffalo Bills
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- Kansas City Chiefs (from LA Rams)
- Miami Dolphins (from Denver)
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
