Reinforcements are on their way to the NFL. And they'll come in the form of youthful talents hoping to make the grade at the next level.
Another iteration of the NFL Draft is on the horizon. This one promises to be a compelling watch, as narratives continue to spill like water streaming out of a spigot.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr. are just a few of the stars slated to strut the red carpet on draft day. They aren't alone, however. The black-tie event will feature a host of ballers — some from mid-major minnows, others hailing from some of the glitziest programs in the country.
It's an event befitting royalty. So it's little surprise that it's taking place in one the nation's crown jewels: Detroit, home of the Detroit Lions and football fanatics far and wide.
Expect the unexpected on draft night as those mentioned and countless others attempt to leave their mark on festivities as they take place.
Just where is the party start, though? The Sporting News fills you in on what you need to know about Campus Martius Park in Motor City.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ
Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Top 250 big board
When is the NFL Draft in 2024?
- Dates: Thursday, April 26 (Round 1) | Friday, April 27 (Rounds 2-3) | Saturday, April 28 (Rounds 4-7)
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Thursday) | 7 p.m. ET (Friday) | Noon ET (Saturday)
- TV channels: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
- Live stream: fubo, ESPN and NFL apps
The first round of the NFL Draft is set to take place on Thursday, April 26. That aligns with the typical date of the NFL Draft — the league has generally scheduled the first round of the festivities on the last Thursday in April.
Friday will see the second and third rounds commence while the draft will culminate with Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 28.
Where is the 2024 NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft has been something of a traveling circus show in recent years; this year's iteration of the event will take place in Detroit
The NFL Draft is on the move once again, with the first-year player draft heading to Detroit for the first time in the event's history. The draft had been held in New York for 50 years until the league decided to start traveling in 2015.
Here's the history of the event's locations:
| 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/Grant Park | Chicago |
| 2017 | Benjamin Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia |
| 2018 | AT&T Stadium | Dallas |
| 2019 | Downtown Nashville | Nashville |
| 2020 | Las Vegas Boulevard and Surrounding Areas (held virtually) | Las Vegas |
| 2021 | Downtown Cleveland | Cleveland |
| 2022 | Caesars Forum | Las Vegas |
| 2023 | Union Station | Kansas City |
| 2024 | Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza | Detroit |
What time does the 2024 NFL Draft start?
An exact time for the 2024 NFL Draft hasn't yet been dropped. However, based on previous years, expect proceedings to take place at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, 7 p.m. ET on Friday and noon ET on Saturday.
Here's a closer look at the schedule:
| Day | Round(s) | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, April 25 | 1 | 8 p.m. ET |
| Friday, April 26 | 2-3 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | 4-7 | Noon ET |
NFL Draft 2024 TV schedule
In years past, ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network have all broadcast the NFL Draft. The same is true in 2024, with the three superpowers sharing responsibilities.
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Cord-cutters can access the action via fubo, which carries all three channels, allowing viewers to see any (or all) of the broadcasts throughout the weekend.
| Round(s) | Day | Start time | Network | Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday, April 26 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC, NFLN | fubo, ESPN+ |
| 2-3 | Friday, April 27 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN, ABC, NFLN | fubo, ESPN+ |
| 4-7 | Saturday, April 28 | Noon ET | ESPN, ABC, NFLN | fubo, ESPN+ |
NFL DRAFT 2024: Latest mock draft | Updated 100-player big board
NFL Draft order 2024
The 2023 NFL Draft order is all but settled, with the Eagles and Chiefs set to decide the final two selections on Super Bowl Sunday.
Expect more moving and shaking prior to the first round. Even after the Bears traded No. 1 to the Panthers, there are likely more dominoes to fall.
Entering free agency, this is how the order shapes up:
| Pick | Team | Record |
| 1 | Bears (via CAR) | 2-15 (CAR) |
| 2 | Commanders | 4-13 |
| 3 | Patriots | 4-13 |
| 4 | Cardinals | 4-13 |
| 5 | Chargers | 5-12 |
| 6 | Giants | 6-11 |
| 7 | Titans | 6-11 |
| 8 | Falcons | 7-10 |
| 9 | Bears | 7-10 |
| 10 | Jets | 7-10 |
| 11 | Vikings | 7-10 |
| 12 | Broncos | 8-9 |
| 13 | Raiders | 8-9 |
| 14 | Saints | 9-8 |
| 15 | Colts | 9-8 |
| 16 | Seahawks | 9-8 |
| 17 | Jaguars | 9-8 |
| 18 | Bengals | 9-8 |
| 19 | Rams | 10-7 |
| 20 | Steelers | 10-7 |
| 21 | Dolphins | 11-6 |
| 22 | Eagles | 11-6 |
| 23 | Texans (via CLE) | 11-6 (CLE) |
| 24 | Cowboys | 12-5 |
| 25 | Packers | 9-8 |
| 26 | Buccaneers | 9-8 |
| 27 | Cardinals (via HOU) | 10-7 (HOU) |
| 28 | Bills | 11-6 |
| 29 | Lions | 12-5 |
| 30 | Ravens | 13-4 |
| 31 | 49ers | 12-5 |
| 32 | Chiefs | 11-6 |
Notes:
— The Bears hold the Panthers' first-round pick as part of a trade that sent Chicago's 2023 first-overall pick to Carolina last year.
— The Texans hold the Browns' first-round pick as part of the trade that sent Deshaun Watson to Cleveland.
— The Cardinals hold the Texans' first-round pick as part of the package that netted Houston the No. 3 pick in last season's draft.
SN's latest mock draft 2024
Offense is the name of the game at present, according to TSN's Vinnie Iyer: Nine of the top-10 selections reside on that side of the ball, including a fearsome foursome of quarterbacking talent.
For full analysis on each pick, visit TSN's latest mock draft. Here's a look at how the first 32 picks could shape up after the season's end:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Caleb Williams | QB | USC |
| 2 | Washington Commanders | Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU |
| 3 | New England Patriots | Drake Maye | QB | North Carolina |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals | Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Ohio State |
| 5 | Los Angeles Chargers | Joe Alt | OT | Notre Dame |
| 6 | New York Giants | Malik Nabers | WR | LSU |
| 7 | Tennessee Titans | Olumuyiwa Fashanu | OT | Penn State |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Bo Nix | QB | Oregon |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | Dallas Turner | EDGE | Alabama |
| 10 | New York Jets | Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Jer'Zhan Newton | DT | Illinois |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan |
| 13 | Las Vegas Raiders | Nate Wiggins | CB | Clemson |
| 14 | New Orleans Saints | Taliese Fuaga | OT | Oregon State |
| 15 | Indianapolis Colts | Cooper DeJean | CB | Iowa |
| 16 | Seattle Seahawks | Jared Verse | EDGE | Florida State |
| 17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | J.C. Latham | OT | Alabama |
| 18 | Cincinnati Bengals | Keon Coleman | WR | Florida State |
| 19 | Los Angeles Rams | Bralen Trice | EDGE | Washington |
| 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama |
| 21 | Miami Dolphins | Terrion Arnold | CB | Alabama |
| 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | Quinyon Mitchell | CB | Toledo |
| 23 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Laiatu Latu | EDGE | UCLA |
| 24 | Dallas Cowboys | Byron Murphy II | DT | Texas |
| 25 | Green Bay Packers | Amarius Mims | OT | Georgia |
| 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chris Braswell | EDGE | Alabama |
| 27 | Arizona Cardinals (from HOU) | Jackson Powers-Johnson | G | Oregon |
| 28 | Buffalo Bills | Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU |
| 29 | Detroit Lions | Ennis Rakestraw Jr. | CB | Missouri |
| 30 | Baltimore Ravens | Edgerrin Cooper | LB | Texas A&M |
| 31 | San Francisco 49ers | Troy Fautanu | G | Washington |
| 32 | Kansas City Chiefs | Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas |
