NFL draft 2023: Start time, draft order, how to watch and stream

The 2023 NFL draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m, and for the second year in a row, we don’t really know who the top pick will be.

Despite having traded with the Chicago Bears to move up to the No. 1 spot, it remains unclear which quarterback the Carolina Panthers will select to kick off the draft. Oddsmakers and most draft analysts seem to think they’ll take Alabama’s Bryce Young despite durability concerns due to his size — he’s 5-foot-10 and weighs just 204 pounds. The other main option appears to be Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who slammed critics Wednesday after his S2 cognitive test results were leaked.

In Philadelphia, all eyes are on the Eagles, who have two picks in the first round — No. 10 (thanks to a trade with the New Orleans Saints) and No. 30.

There’s been a growing drumbeat — especially on sports talk radio — in support of drafting Texas’ Bijan Robinson, widely considered this year’s top running back prospect. But the last time the Eagles drafted a running back in the first round was 1986, when the team took Keith Byers with, coincidentally, the No. 10 pick.

Eagles beat writer Josh Tolentino thinks the team could take Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski with the No. 10 pick, while EJ Smith thinks the Birds might trade up to grab Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson with the No. 7 pick.

During the first round, each team has 10 minutes to make its pick. If the Birds still have the No. 10 pick, expect the Eagles to be on the clock for their selection around 9:10 p.m., based on the pace of the last few years. The No. 30 pick won’t happen until some time after 11 p.m.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream this year’s NFL draft:

The 2023 NFL draft is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern and run through 11:30 p.m. In addition to airing on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network, the draft will also stream on the ABC app, the ESPN app, the NFL app, and on NFL.com (cable authentication is required).

Here’s how television networks are planning to cover the draft.

ABC

For the fifth-straight year, ABC will air its own coverage of the NFL draft on Thursday and Friday focused more on the personal stories of the prospects than their specific impact on the field. Rece Davis will host ABC’s main coverage alongside analysts Todd McShay, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard.

ESPN

Believe it or not, this is the 44th year ESPN will broadcast the NFL draft, dating back to 1980. Anchoring the network’s draft coverage for the third straight year will be Get Up! host Mike Greenberg. On Thursday and Friday he’ll be joined by analysts Louis Riddick, Booger McFarland, and Mel Kiper Jr., who will work his 40th NFL draft.

NFL Network

For the 17th year, NFL Network will have its own coverage, hosted by Rich Eisen. He’ll be joined by NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, CBS analyst Charles Davis, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, and Fox Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt.

ESPN Deportes

For the fifth-straight season, ESPN Deportes will cover every round in Spanish. The network’s broadcast will feature Monday Night Football announcers Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega, among others.

» READ MORE: Ranking the Eagles’ position groups based on need ahead of the NFL draft

After spending nearly 50 years holding the NFL Draft in New York City, the NFL decided to take the show on the road to Chicago 2015. Since then, the NFL has zig-zagged across the country, holding the event in a variety of cities, including Philadelphia in 2017.

This year’s traveling roadshow is taking place in Kansas City, Mo., and will feature free performances by Fall Out Boy, Mötley Crüe and Thundercat. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is hosting a concert of his own on April 28, dubbed “Kelce Jam,” featuring performances by Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, DJ duo Loud Luxury and Kansas City rap legend Tech N9ne.

Next year, the draft is scheduled to take place at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit.

» READ MORE: 25 things to know about the NFL draft before the Eagles are on the clock

Three teams have 12 picks each in the 2023 NFL draft — the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans.

The Miami Dolphins have the fewest. They currently hold just four draft picks and had their first round pick stripped away by the NFL after their investigation revealed the Dolphins held “impermissible communications” with Tom Brady during the 2019 season and during the 2021 offseason.

Overall, the Eagles have six picks entering the 2023 NFL draft, though that will likely change once Howie Roseman starts wheeling and dealing. Since Roseman took over as general manager in 2010, the Eagles have made trades and shifted picks during every draft (though Roseman lost his power to do so to former head coach Chip Kelly in 2015).

In addition to their two first round picks this year, the Birds have one pick in the second round, one in the third, and two in the seventh. Here’s the full breakdown:

» READ MORE: 2023 NFL draft: Rating 12 potential first-round targets for the Eagles

The Panthers hold the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time since 2011, when they drafted Cam Newton out of Auburn.

There are five teams without a first-round pick in this year’s draft — the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers.

Here is the complete order of the first round: