When is the NFL Draft in 2020? Date, time, pick order, location, TV channels & updated mock drafts

James Crabtree-Hannigan

When is the NFL Draft in 2020? Date, time, pick order, location, TV channels & updated mock drafts image

The NFL calendar keeps teams (and fans) busy. Once the postseason wraps up, all focus turns to the NFL Draft.

This year, the draft begins April 23, and for the third consecutive year, it's in a brand new location.

Las Vegas will host the 2020 NFL Draft, which will be broadcast across multiple ESPN channels and NFL Network.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2020 NFL Draft, including the time, location, television schedule, draft order and the latest mock draft from Sporting News.

MOCK DRAFT 2020:
Patriots, Raiders, Cowboys go defense; Bucs, Chargers go QB

When is the NFL Draft in 2020?

  • Date: Thursday, April 23 (Round 1) | Friday, April 24 (Rounds 2-3) | Saturday, April 25 (Rounds 4-7)
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Thursday) | 7 p.m. ET (Friday) | Noon ET (Saturday)
  • TV channel: ABC | ESPN | NFL Network
  • Live stream: ESPN app | NFL app

The 2020 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. ET with the first pick of the first round in Las Vegas. Only the first round takes place Thursday; the second round begins Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. ET, immediately followed by the third round. The final four rounds begin at noon on Saturday, April 25.

For the second consecutive year, all seven rounds of the draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

Where is the 2020 NFL Draft?

Las Vegas (technically, Paradise, Nevada) hosts its first NFL Draft in 2020, having been named the hosting city in December 2018. The main stage will be adjacent to the Caesar's Palace hotel, and the red carpet will be at the Bellagio Hotel.

With the Raiders relocating to the Sin City in the fall, Las Vegas is a logical choice for the draft, which will theoretically help build hype in the city and help establish a football culture.

“We look forward to working with the Raiders, Las Vegas officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to create an unforgettable week-long celebration of football for our fans, the incoming prospects and partners," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement announcing Las Vegas would host the draft.

"The Raiders are very excited for Las Vegas and are proud to help host the 2020 NFL Draft,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in the announcement.

Below are the previous locations of the NFL Draft.

Draft Location City
1936 Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia
1937 Hotel Lincoln New York
1938 Hotel Sherman Chicago
1939 Hotel New Yorker New York
1940 Schroeder Hotel Milwaukee
1941 Willard Hotel Washington, D.C.
1942-44 Palmer House Chicago
1945-47 Hotel Commodore New York
1948 Hotel Fort Pitt Pittsburgh
1949-50 Bellevue-Stratford Hotel Philadelphia
1951 Blackstone Hotel Chicago
1952 Hotel Statler New York
1953-54 Bellevue-Stratford Hotel Philadelphia
1955 Warwick Hotel New York
1956 Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 1-3) Philadelphia
Ambassador Hotel (Rounds 4-30) Los Angeles
1957 Warwick Hotel (Rounds 1-4) Philadelphia
Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 5-30) Philadelphia
1958-61 Warwick Hotel Philadelphia
1962-64 Sheraton Hotel Chicago
1965-66 Summit Hotel New York
1967 Hotel Gotham New York
1968-71 Belmont Plaza Hotel New York
1972 Essex House New York
1973-74 Americana Hotel New York
1975 Hilton Hotel New York
1976-78 Roosevelt Hotel New York
1979 Waldorf New York
1980-83 Sheraton Hotel New York
1984-85 Omni Park Central Hotel New York
1986-94 Marriott Marquis New York
1995-04 Theatre at Madison Square Garden New York
2005 Jacob Javits Convention Center New York
2006-14 Radio City Music Hall New York
2015-16 Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University Chicago
2017 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia
2018 AT&T Stadium Dallas​
2019 Lower Broadway Nashville

What time does the NFL Draft start?

The start time for the 2020 NFL Draft is 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23. That night, the entire first round of the 2020 NFL Draft will play out, but only the first round.

The start time for the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft is 7 p.m. ET on Friday. Round 3 of the NFL Draft will also play out Friday night. The start time for Saturday's coverage of the NFL Draft, which includes Rounds 4-7, is noon ET.

Day Rounds Start time
Thursday Round 1 8 p.m. ET
Friday Rounds 2-3 7 p.m. ET
Saturday Rounds 4-7 Noon ET

On Thursday, teams get 10 minutes to make their selection. On Friday, they get seven. For the next three rounds, the time limit is five minutes, and the final round puts teams on a four-minute clock. If the clock runs out before a selection is made, the team doesn't lose its pick and can make it later, but the draft moves on, so the next team could theoretically take the player the prior team was considering.

That process and timing means the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night will last roughly three hours. Rounds 2-3 on Friday night will last roughly four hours, and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday will last roughly six hours.

NFL Draft TV schedule

ABC, ESPN and NFL Network will broadcast the 2020 NFL Draft, with each network showing all seven rounds on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

For the first two nights, ABC — the main broadcaster of the draft — produces its own telecast for the ABC audience, separate from ESPN and NFL Network. For the third straight year, ABC will simulcast ESPN's presentation on Day 3.

The prime-time NFL Draft coverage on ABC will be anchored by ESPN's "College GameDay" crew, with other ESPN and ABC personalities being part of the ABC presentation. The telecasts on ESPN and NFL Network will feature largely the same analysis those networks have utilized for years.

Below is a breakdown of the schedule for 2020 NFL Draft coverage on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

Round Day Start time TV channels
Round 1 Thursday 8 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Rounds 2-3 Friday 7 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
Rounds 4-7 Saturday 12 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN, NFL Network

NFL Draft pick order 2020

Pick No. Team Record
1. Cincinnati Bengals 2-14
2. Washington Redskins 3-13
3. Detroit Lions 3-12-1
4. New York Giants 4-12
5. Miami Dolphins 5-11
6. Los Angeles Chargers 5-11
7. Carolina Panthers 5-11
8. Arizona Cardinals 5-10-1
9. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10
10. Cleveland Browns 6-10
11. New York Jets 7-9
12. Oakland Raiders 7-9
13. Indianapolis Colts 7-9
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
15. Denver Broncos 7-9
16. Atlanta Falcons 7-9
17. Dallas Cowboys 8-8
18. Miami Dolphins (via 8-8 Steelers)
19. Oakland Raiders (via 8-8 Bears)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (via 9-7 Rams)
21. Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
22. Buffalo Bills 10-6
23. New England Patriots 12-4
24. New Orleans Saints 13-3
25. Minnesota Vikings 10-6
26. Miami Dolphins (via 10-6 Texans)
27. Seattle Seahawks 11-5
28. Baltimore Ravens 14-2
29. Tennessee Titans 9-7
30. Green Bay Packers 13-3

(The teams slotted in Pick Nos. 31-32 are in the Super Bowl.)

SN's latest mock draft

Pick Team Player, position, college
1. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
2. Washington Redskins Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
3. Detroit Lions Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
4. New York Giants Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson
5. Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
6. Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
7. Carolina Panthers Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
8. Arizona Cardinals Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
9. Jacksonville Jaguars A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa
10. Cleveland Browns Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
11. New York Jets Austin Jackson, OT, USC
12. Oakland Raiders Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU
13. Indianapolis Colts CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
15. Denver Broncos Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
16. Atlanta Falcons K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE/OLB, LSU
17. Dallas Cowboys Grant Delpit, S, LSU
18. Miami Dolphins Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa
19. Oakland Raiders Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
20. Jacksonville Jaguars C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida
21. Philadelphia Eagles Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
22. Buffalo Bills Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State
23. New England Patriots Kenneth Murray, ILB, Oklahoma
24. New Orleans Saints Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
25. Minnesota Vikings Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
26. Miami Dolphins Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
27. Seattle Seahawks Tyler Biadasz, C/G, Wisconsin
28. Baltimore Ravens Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Boise State
29. Tennessee Titans Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
30. Green Bay Packers Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

James Crabtree-Hannigan