2024 NFL Draft start time, date, schedule, location, TV channel, live stream, how to watch streaming online

The 2024 NFL Draft is officially here! The first round will kick off Thursday night, and the action will continue through Saturday as 257 young men will hear their names called as professional football players.

The Chicago Bears are a foregone conclusion to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but after that it seems like anything can happen. Will QBs go 1-2-3-4 for the first time in NFL history? When will the first defensive player come off the board in a draft class loaded with offensive talent? And what kind of trades will unfold as teams get aggressive towards improving their roster?

In preparation for the three-day event, here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 NFL Draft: 

When is the draft?

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27. The specific start times (Eastern) for each day are as follows:

• Thursday, April 25: Round 1 (8 p.m.)
• Friday, April 26: Rounds 2-3 (7 p.m.)
• Saturday, April 27: Rounds 4-7 (12 p.m.)

Where is the draft?

The 2024 NFL Draft will take place at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit. 

How to watch

The 2024 NFL Draft will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network. It will also be live-streamed on fubo. CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports’ 24/7 streaming network, will also provide coverage before, during and after the event.

2024 NFL Draft order

There are only three teams without a first-round pick as part of the 2024 NFL Draft: the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. Here’s the full order for the first round. You can check out the entire seven-round draft order with all 257 picks, here.

Team needs: QB, WR, EDGE, IOL, DT, LB, IOL

Team needs: QB, OT, EDGE, CB, WR, S, LB, IOL

Team needs: OT, WR, QB, CB, WR, OT, LB, DL, TE

Team needs: WR, RB, EDGE, DL, CB, IOL, LB, WR

Team needs: WR, CB, DL, OT, LB, WR, RB

Team needs: IOL, WR, RB, LB, S, CB, QB

Team needs: OT, DL, EDGE, LB, IOL, WR, CB, TE

Team needs: EDGE, CB, DL, LB, S, WR, CB

9. Chicago Bears

Team needs: QB, WR, EDGE, IOL, DT, LB, IOL

Team needs: WR, TE, OT, RB, S, WR, CB

Team needs: QB, DL, IOL, WR, EDGE, CB

Team needs: QB, DL, CB, S, IOL, WR, LB, EDGE

Team needs: QB, IOL, CB, DL, LB, OT, RB

Team needs: OT, DL, WR, CB, IOL, RB, TE, S

Team needs: CB, EDGE, S, WR, LB, CB

Team needs: IOL, LB, S, EDGE, DL, TE, IOL

Team needs: WR, CB, DL, EDGE, IOL

Team needs: TE, DL, IOL, EDGE, CB, WR, OT

Team needs: DL, EDGE, OT, RB, CB, S, LB, WR

Team needs: WR, OT, IOL, S, CB, LB, DL

Team needs: IOL, DL, TE, WR, IOL, EDGE, CB

Team needs: CB, LB, S, OT, IOL, WR, TE

Team needs: QB, DL, IOL, WR, EDGE, CB, DL

Team needs: OT, IOL, RB, CB, LB, WR, S

Team needs: OT, IOL, CB, S, DL, LB, QB

Team needs: IOL, CB, EDGE, LB, S, WR

Team needs: WR, RB, EDGE, DL, CB, IOL, LB, WR

Team needs: CB, EDGE, OT, IOL, S, WR, LB

Team needs: IOL, CB, WR, EDGE, DL, S, LB, TE

Team needs: OT, IOL, CB, DL, EDGE, WR, LB

Team needs: OT, IOL, DL, EDGE, IOL, S, CB

Team needs: OT, WR, CB, DL, LB, S, RB, EDGE

Teams without a first-round pick

Team needs: IOL, OT, WR, RB, LB, DL

Team needs: WR, EDGE, CB, TE, OT, DL, RB

Houston Texans

Team needs: CB, TE, LB, WR, IOL, DL, EDGE

For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.

Mock draft central

Half the fun of draft season is projecting all the different scenarios up top, and our draft experts have you covered with first-round forecasts (and more). You can find updated projections from Pete Prisco, Will Brinson, Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso, Josh Edwards and Kyle Stackpole right here at our mock draft hub.

Top prospects

The 2024 NFL Draft is loaded with offensive talent, particularly at the top. It is a talented, deep quarterback group, but the strengths in this class are offensive tackle, wide receiver and, potentially, cornerback. The weakness of this class is linebacker, defensive tackle and running back.

We’ve got you covered with CBS Sports prospect rankings of the top 400 players in this year’s draft class. Here’s the top 10:

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

3. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

4. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State

5. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

6. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

7. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

8. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

9. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

10. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama