The NFL draft is the culmination of years of hard work by these future pros. The moment their name is read out by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell outside Lambeau Field in Green Bay is the pinnacle of all their efforts. They’ll soon become heroes, or hated rivals, of their hometown teams.
With the first round kicking off Thursday night at 8PM ET (10 minutes per pick), we’re here to help you follow the action from start to finish.
All 32 teams have one pick in each of the seven rounds – unless they agree to a trade before the draft – and the order is determined by playoff performance and regular season record. The lowest-seeded team picks first, followed by the teams with three wins, and then the Super Bowl winners select last.
A few big names are expected to go near the top of the first round – quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders; and running back Ashton Jeanty, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist after putting up record-breaking numbers as a sophomore for Boise State. The New York Giants also need defensive help, and they could land Missouri defensive end Cam Ward, who was among the best pass rushers in college last year with 17 sacks.