The 2026 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23, with the Las Vegas Raiders picking first. It will be broadcast on NFL Network and ESPN, and available for streaming on NFL+ and Disney+.
Key points
2026 NFL Draft starts on April 23
Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick
First round pick timing reduced to eight minutes
Draft airs on NFL Network and ESPN
Available for streaming on NFL+ and Disney+
Las Vegas Raiders
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It’s time for the 2026 NFL Draft. Round 1 kicks off this Thursday, April 23 and the Las Vegas Raiders will have the privilege of picking first. This year’s draft will introduce a change to the timing: in previous years teams had 10 minutes between picks, now, for the first round, they’ll only have eight. Timing for Rounds 2-7 will remain the same. The NFL Draft will air on NFL Network and ESPN. You can stream it on NFL+ and Disney+. Here’s everything you need to know about where to watch the NFL Draft, the full draft order, how to stream free and more.
Round 1: Thursday, April 23, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Rounds 2 and 3: Friday, April 24, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Rounds 4 through 7: Saturday, April 25, beginning at noon ET.
What time is the NFL Draft?
Round 1 of the NFL Draft will air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Rounds 2 and 3 will start an hour earlier on Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday’s remaining rounds will begin at noon ET.
NFL Draft channel:
The 2026 NFL Draft will air live on NFL Network and ESPN, with ESPN Deportes offering Spanish-language coverage. You can also tune in live on NFL+ or Disney+ or with ESPN Unlimited. And if you don’t have any of those streaming platforms or cable, you can always try out a live TV streaming service like DirecTV or Sling.
ESPN's streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows, and acclaimed series that air across ESPN's suite of 7 linear channels, as well as on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX, and more. With access to so many college-focused networks, plus comprehensive coverage of the women's March Madness tournament and more, it's an incredible one-stop shop for college sports fans. ESPN Unlimited costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content available only on the app and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays, and more).
Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.
A basic, ad-supported subscription to the Disney+ Hulu bundle starts at $12.99 a month and includes access to the entire Hulu library — including Malcolm in the Middle and the new reboot — plus, get everything Disney+ has to offer, like all the new and classic Disney princess movies, The Simpsons,Bluey, and more.
Sling TV's Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription. So if you love watching certain teams or just want to tune into the occasional playoff game, it's the ideal, cost-effective plan.
Sign up for a single day ($4.99), a weekend ($9.99), or a full week ($14.99) and watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN and ESPN2, and over 30 more channels. No strings attached.
Want to catch a specific sporting event on channels Sling Orange doesn't typically carry? You can customize your channel lineup with a Sports Extra add-on to get additional coverage of SEC, ACC, ESPNU, and more for just a dollar more.
Looking for a mock draft? Yahoo Sports has you covered. Headed into this week’s draft, the top names floating around in this year’s NFL Draft include Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Jeremiyah Love, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Rueben Bain Jr.
