Super Bowl LVII saw the Kansas City Chiefs reign victorious, but hope springs eternal for all 32 NFL teams and their fans each year, in large part starting with the NFL Draft. It's kind of funny how big an event has become where people just read names, but fans love to watch the NFL Draft and are as hyped as ever for the 2023 edition.
The NFL Draft takes place over three days, with its first two days occurring in prime time. Multiple networks are also covering the event and offering different things for fans to watch depending on if you want expert analysis (ESPN and NFL Network) or if you prefer to get to know the personal stories of the college kids getting the opportunity to live their dream (ABC).
We're here to help you sort out all of the ways to watch the NFL Draft, be it on traditional TV or live TV streaming services, as well as all the other key details that you need to know.
NFL Draft date
The 2023 NFL Draft takes begins on Thursday, April 27, and runs through Saturday, April 29. The first round takes place on April 27, with rounds two and three on Friday, April 28, followed by rounds four, five, six and seven on April 29.
NFL Draft time
The NFL Draft has a different start time each night it's on. On April 27, the official event begins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. On April 28, things get underway at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. Then on April 29, draft proceedings kick back off at noon ET/9 am PT.
Many of the networks broadcasting the NFL draft will have coverage hours before the official start time for each day.
How to watch the NFL Draft in the US
There are going to be three networks covering all three days of the NFL Draft in the US — ESPN, ABC and NFL Network — and there are a number of different options to watch any of these channels in whatever way you like: on traditional TV, streaming or on your computer.
ABC is the easiest, as it is one of the four main networks in the US offered to all traditional pay-TV subscribers. If you’re looking for live TV streaming options though, ABC is carried on FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV. If you are a subscriber to any of these options, you'll be able to watch ABC's coverage on TV or on your computer/mobile device.
ABC's sister station ESPN is a cable network, so it is not carried by all traditional pay-TV services, but just about all of them have the option to add the sports-centric channel. Meanwhile, live TV streaming services FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV all carry ESPN. If you subscribe to any of these services, you can also watch ESPN's draft coverage on ESPN.com or the ESPN app.
Finally, NFL Network is another cable channel, which is offered by traditional cable TV providers, though always good to check if the one you’re looking at includes it. As far as live TV streaming services, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV all carry NFL Network in some capacity.
If you're looking for a simple streaming option to watch the NFL Draft, there are a couple. NFL Plus is going to be your best bet, though it is only carrying live coverage from the first round on April 27. If you're wondering about ESPN Plus, the network's streaming service is not offering live coverage of the draft, but it does have exclusive draft-centric content subscribers can watch.
How to watch the NFL Draft in the UK
Sky Sports is going to UK NFL fans’ home to watch the NFL Draft with live coverage of the event airing on the main Sky Sports channel at 1 am UK on Friday, April 28, and midnight UK on Saturday, April 29. The third day of the draft is not scheduled to be shown.
If you don't currently have Sky Sports, it's £24 per month on top of your standard Sky TV subscription, so you can get them bundled together for £46 if you're not already a subscriber.
How to watch the NFL Draft from anywhere
The NFL has fans all around the world, so if you want to be able to watch the NFL Draft even if you are outside the US or somewhere else where it is easily available, a potential solution to this issue is with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address, enabling you to watch shows or sporting events like the Super Bowl and all the other shows and events that matter to you from other locations. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
NFL Draft FAQs
Where is the 2023 NFL Draft?
The 2023 edition of the NFL Draft is being held in Kansas City, specifically the city's Union Station train station.
The fact that the NFL Draft ended up in the home city of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs is just a fun coincidence, as the draft has been relocating to different cities each year for the last handful of years, with locations determined years in advance. Next year’s draft is going to be in Detroit.
What is the draft order for 2023?
Here is the NFL Draft order for the first round as of Wednesday, April 26:
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Houston Texans
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. Detroit Lions
7. Las Vegas Raiders
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. Tennessee Titans
12. Houston Texans
13. Green Bay Packers
14. New England Patriots
15. New York Jets
16. Washington Commanders
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Detroit Lions
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Seattle Seahawks
21. Los Angeles Chargers
22. Baltimore Ravens
23. Minnesota Vikings
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. New York Giants
26. Dallas Cowboys
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. New Orleans Saints
30. Philadelphia Eagles
31. Kansas City Chiefs
Why are there only 31 picks in 2023 NFL Draft first round?
There are 32 NFL teams but only 31 picks in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2023. This happened because the Miami Dolphins were forced to forfeit their first round pick, which would have been No. 21, after they were found to have "violated league policies pertaining to the integrity of the game," per an NFL investigation. Specifically, this revolves around accusations of tampering to try and bring Tom Brady and head coach Sean Payton to the team, as well as the accusation they tried to purposefully lose games to improve their draft position in previous years.
The Dolphins' first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is scheduled to be the No. 51 pick in round 2.
There are other teams that are set to not pick in the first round. Unlike the Dolphins, these are based on previous trades. The other teams not currently in the first round, and where their first pick is, are: Cleveland Browns (No. 74), Denver Broncos (No. 67), Los Angeles Rams (No. 36) and San Francisco 49ers (No. 99).
