The 2026 NFL Draft commenced Thursday evening at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, marking the first time the event has been held in the city since 1948. The draft spans three days, running from April 23 to April 25, and includes seven rounds in which 257 players will be selected by the league’s 32 teams.
The draft event kicked off at approximately 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time with Pittsburgh native KELS performing the national anthem, followed by “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” performed by the James Weldon Johnson Foundation’s National Hymn Choir and The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell introduced the proceedings and will announce all one-round selections. Subsequent rounds will feature announcements by current and former NFL players.
The Las Vegas Raiders held the No. 1 overall selection and were first on the clock. New for 2026, teams have eight minutes to make their first-round picks, a reduction from the previous 10 minutes. The time allotment decreases for each round: seven minutes in Round 2, five minutes from Rounds 3 through 6, and four minutes in Round 7. The final player chosen in the seventh round is designated “Mr. Irrelevant,” a long-standing NFL tradition.
Rounds 2 and 3 will take place Friday beginning at 7 p.m. EDT, while Rounds 4 through 7 will conclude the draft on Saturday starting at noon EDT.
The NFL Draft is being broadcast across multiple platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and the NFL Network. Streaming options are available on the ABC and ESPN apps, NFL+, Hulu+ Live TV, and live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV and Fubo TV.
Pittsburgh is hosting the interactive NFL fan festival at Point State Park, just across the Allegheny River from Acrisure Stadium. The league anticipates a strong fan turnout, citing that the 2025 draft in Green Bay attracted approximately 600,000 attendees over three days.
Why it matters
The NFL Draft serves as a crucial event for all 32 teams to address roster needs and build for the upcoming season. Hosting the draft in Pittsburgh reconnects the league with a historic football city and engages fans directly through both the stadium event and adjacent fan festival. The changes in pick timing reflect the NFL’s efforts to streamline draft day proceedings.
Background
The NFL Draft is held annually to allocate newly eligible players to teams, offering teams an opportunity to strengthen or rebuild their rosters. The timing and format have evolved over decades, with the 2026 draft marking the first occasion in nearly 80 years that Pittsburgh has served as a host city. The event is a major spectacle attracting nationwide attention and significant fan engagement.
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