The draft starts Thursday night with the first round and wraps up Saturday with the final four rounds.
All eyes in the football world will be focused on Cleveland the next few days for the 2021 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday night with the first round of selections. The three-day event will continue Friday evening with Rounds 2-3 before the final four rounds are held Saturday afternoon.
Unlike a year ago, when the NFL was forced hold the draft virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s draft extravaganza will include on-site coverage at several locations in downtown Cleveland, including FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.
Some of the top prospects available will take the stage in Cleveland after their selections, while others will participate remotely similar to last year’s proceedings.
The intrigue over this year’s draft really starts with the No. 2 overall pick given the expectation that the Jaguars will take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall. Several other quarterbacks, including BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, are also expected to go off the board early in the first round.
2021 NFL Draft schedule
All seven rounds will be broadcast live on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. You can also stream the draft via the ESPN app and the NFL app.
(all times Central)
Round 1: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Rounds 2-3: Friday, 6 p.m.
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 11 a.m.