The first round of the draft starts at 8 pm today, Thursday, April 29, and should run until about 11:30 pm–12:00 am. The second and third rounds are on Friday and begin at 7 pm. The fourth through seventh rounds are on Saturday and start at noon.
You can watch the Draft on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Interest in the Draft is tremendous. With at least four QBs expected in the first round, this year might surpass the record-breaking 15.6 million average viewers of the 2020 Draft.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 draft order and whom experts think each team will pick:
1) Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence (QB), Clemson — unanimously, all experts agree Lawrence is going to Jaguars.
2) New York Jets: Zach Wilson (QB), BYU — once again, most experts agree that Wilson will end up with the Jets.
3) San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones (QB), Alabama — another quarterback at #3, once again, experts agree on his destination.
4) Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts (TE), Florida — according to most experts, Pitts will be the first non-QB in the draft and will go to Atlanta.
5) Cincinnati Bengals: According to ESPN, it will be Ja’Marr Chase (WR), LSU. NFL’s analysts think it will be Penei Sewell (OT), Oregon
6) Miami Dolphins: NFL analysts think it will be Ja’Marr Chase (WR), LSU. ESPN is projecting DeVonta Smith (WR), Alabama. At least they agree that Miami wants a WR.
7) Denver Broncos: Denver traded up to 7th, and the NFL projects Justin Fields (QB), Ohio State, while ESPN has Broncos at No.9 with Trey Lance (QB), North Dakota State.
8) Chicago Bears: Another last-minute trade, the Bears took the 8th spot, and NFL analysts predict Trey Lance (QB), North Dakota State.
9) Detroit Lions: Originally 7th on the list, ESPN predicts Penei Sewell (OT), Oregon, while the NFL analysts predict at No.9 Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State.
10) Dallas Cowboys: Both ESPN and NFL predict a CB for Dallas, with ESPN going for Jaycee Horn, South Carolina, while the NFL analysts predict Patrick Surtain II.
If you live in one of the states that have allowed sports betting since the Supreme Court’s decision in 2018 to legalize it, here are some top bets from DraftKings:
- First Non-QB to be drafted: Kyle Pitts (-150)
- Draft Position: Patrick Surtain II (-159)
- Top-32 Pick: Kadarius Toney (-121)
- Total RB selected in the first round: over 1.5 (+150)
Most analysts agree on the top picks, but that’s where their agreement ends. Tune in at 8 pm to see the picks unfold, and expect to be surprised.
