NFL Draft 2021 Schedule, Pick Orders, TV Channels

2021 NFL Draft. Photo: PFF

NFL Draft Prospects

Big board of the top 100 players in 2021

As usual, the draft will be held over a three-day span. It will start on a Thursday (April 29) and run through Saturday (May 1). There are multiple ways to watch the draft, as ESPN, NFL Network, and ABC will all be broadcasting the event. Round 1 will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 29. Rounds 2-3 of the 2021 NFL Draft are scheduled to occur on Friday, April 30 and will start at 7 p.m. ET. Finally, Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft, which includes Round 4-7, will start at 12 p.m. ET.

The 2020 NFL Draft also can be streamed live on the ESPN app or the NFL app (among other streaming options) across multiple devices. In Canada, the entire 2020 NFL Draft can be streamed on DAZN.

Below is all you need to know about the 2021 NFL Draft, including TV channels and start times for all three days, plus the order of all 255 picks, SN's latest mock draft, a big board of the top 100 prospects and more, as cited by sportingnews.

What time does the NFL Draft start?

The NFL could still choose to deviate from its past standard times for health and safety reasons, but the 2021 NFL Draft will likely start at the same times the drafts in recent years have.

That means prime time slots for each of the first three rounds. The first round on Thursday, April 29, gets going at 8 p.m. ET. Things start an hour earlier the next day to fit in both the second and third rounds. And Saturday's four rounds get underway at Noon ET.

Day Rounds Start time

Thursday Round 1 8 p.m. ET

Friday Rounds 2-3 7 p.m. ET

Saturday Rounds 4-7 Noon ET

As the draft goes on, teams get different lengths of time to make their selections. The first round provides 10 minutes to teams to pick, and that drops to seven minutes for rounds two and three. Rounds four through six have five minute pick times, and it's four minutes for the seventh and final round.

NFL Draft 2021 Schedule

- Thursday, April 29 (8:00-11:30 p.m. EDT): NFL Draft, Round 1 – ABC, ABC App, ESPN, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network

- Friday, April 30 (7:00-11:30 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rounds 2 and 3 – ABC, ABC App, ESPN/ESPN2, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network

- Saturday, May 1 (12:00-7:00 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rounds 4–7 – ABC (ESPN simulcast), ABC App, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network

For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ABC will provide distinct prime-time presentations on days 1 and 2. ESPN will again offer the traditional draft telecast—a combination of X's and O's analysis, player highlights and storytelling—while ABC, featuring the eleven-time Sports Emmy Award-winning "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" crew, will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft prospects.

For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ABC will provide distinct prime-time presentations on days 1 and 2. ESPN will again offer the traditional draft telecast—a combination of X's and O's analysis, player highlights and storytelling—while ABC, featuring the eleven-time Sports Emmy Award-winning "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" crew, will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft prospects.

2021 NFL mock draft

Photo: WKYC

With NFL free agency largely in the rearview mirror, our expectations for the 2021 NFL Draft have changed. That's especially true since the San Francisco 49ers moved up from the No. 12 overall pick to the No. 3 spot and appear to be targeting their quarterback of the future with that selection.

SN's Vinnie Iyer recently released a 2021 NFL mock draft, and here's a look at his projections for the first five picks.

• 1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15): Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

"Lawrence lived up to expectations of being a generational talent at the position, the second in a row after Joe Burrow. He's a great leader and winner on top of being a strong-armed passer and capable tough runner. Lawrence will clean up the Jaguars QB mess, attached to a new coach, big college winner Urban Meyer. Lawrence can have success right away with the Jaguars having a decent line and solid skill players such as James Robinson, Marvin Jones, D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault. Forget that talk about Meyer taking someone else, especially another QB."

• 2. New York Jets (2-14): Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

"Wilson had an exceptional season with his accuracy and downfield passing to emerge as the draft class' second-best QB prospect after Lawrence. Wilson would be a strong, cerebral fit for Mike LaFleur's offense replacing Sam Darnold as the face of the franchise. Darnold should still be considered firmly on the trading block and it's looking less likely the Jets will be aggressive enough to make a trade for Deshaun Watson. Why would they, when they can get a high-upside passer without sacrificing any extra first-rounders?"

• 3. San Francisco 49ers (via Dolphins through Texans): Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

"The 49ers have talked up that they're still rolling with Jimmy Garoppolo but it's hard to see them trading up nine spots for a position other than quarterback, especially when tackle, wide receiver and tight end aren't key needs. They're likely going high upside with a younger option who could sit a year to develop if needed, making Lance the best bet. Lance has climbed back up boards with his his massive upside. As more teams look back on his fine pro day and see tapes of his statistically brilliant lone season as a starter (2,786 yards passing, 28 TDs, no INTs, 1,100 yards rushing, 14 TDs) it's harder to ignore the impressive physical and athletic skills, including his blazing speed. Lance is raw and inexperienced and needs some polish in many areas, but the dual-threat tools can be blended together nicely for Kyle Shanahan."

• 4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12): WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU

"The Falcons are good candidates to trade down for some defensive help at cornerback or edge rusher, and they could still think about stashing a QB behind Matt Ryan, but that chance would be lesser with Lance gone. Staying put, going for the best player available would be awesome for Ryan, as they can slot in Chase in between Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley in Arthur Smith's offense. Chase posted 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 TDs during the national championship season and can join former teammate Justin Jefferson in lighting up the NFL as a versatile playmaker."

• 5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1): Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

"The Bengals went after Joe Thuney for offensive line help in free agency but weren't competitive enough to sign the new Chief. Getting Joe Burrow another big-time playmaker at wide receiver or tight end will be tempting but upgrading the pass protection is vital and the run blocking for Joe Mixon could use a big boost, too, as it's hard to trust the combination of Jonah Williams and newcomer Riley Reiff. Sewell still is the best all-around tackle in this class with his smooth agility for pass protection and rock-like stature for the running game."

NFL Draft 2021 order of picks

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and beyond that, the draft has been shaken up quite a bit by trades. Most recently, the San Francisco 49ers moved up to the No. 3 spot with the Miami Dolphins moving down to No. 6 and the Philadelphia Eagles dropping to 12.

Speaking of the Eagles, they have an NFL-high 11 picks in this year's draft. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Seattle Seahawks have just three picks thanks in part to trades for Jamal Adams and Gabe Jackson.

There are 259 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft now that compensatory picks (and some special compensatory picks) have been added to Rounds 3-7.

• First round:

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