NFL

2025 NFL Draft Preview: Schedule, How to Watch, and the Road to Green Bay

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By
Colin Lynch
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Colin Lynch Sports Editor

Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.

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Published22 Apr 2025

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2025 NFL Draft Preview: Schedule, How to Watch, and the Road to Green Bay

The 2025 NFL Draft is set to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, starting Thursday, April 24, and fans across the league are awaiting with hope and optimism. 

The anticipation has built, the mock drafts have multiplied, and now, it’s nearly time. The 2025 NFL Draft is set to begin, bringing clarity to months of speculation. Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Shedeur Sanders—names we’ve heard all spring—will soon find their new homes.

But before the drama unfolds, before the hats are donned and dreams are realized, there’s one certainty: The Tennessee Titans are on the clock.

When and Where: Key Dates for the 2025 NFL Draft

The stage is Green Bay, Wisconsin—a fitting nod to one of football’s most storied cities. For the first time, the draft calls Lambeau’s town home. And while the setting is historic, the stakes are forward-looking.

Key Dates and Times:

  • Round 1: Thursday, April 24 | 8 p.m. ET

    • Titans hold the first pick. Each team has 10 minutes to make its selection.

  • Rounds 2 & 3: Friday, April 25 | 7 p.m. ET

    • 7 minutes per pick in Round 2, 5 minutes in Round 3.

  • Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 26 | 12 p.m. ET

    • 5 minutes per pick in Rounds 4-6, 4 minutes in Round 7.

By Saturday evening, 257 picks later, the 2025 NFL Draft will close—but for many, their NFL journey will just begin.

How to Watch: Coverage Across Every Channel

This isn’t just a draft—it’s a television event. With coverage stretching across multiple networks, fans will have no shortage of ways to follow the action.

  • ABC & ESPN: Dual coverage, with ABC focusing on player stories, and ESPN honing in on team needs and analysis.

  • NFL Network: Rich Eisen leads comprehensive, team-driven coverage.

  • ESPN Deportes: Spanish-language broadcast for an ever-expanding audience.

From the first pick to the last, every moment will be captured, every future star introduced.

The Draft Order: A Glimpse Into What’s Next

As always, the intrigue begins with the top picks—but the first round is filled with storylines.

Top 5 Picks:

  1. Tennessee Titans

  2. Cleveland Browns

  3. New York Giants

  4. New England Patriots

  5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Beyond that, teams like the Raiders, Jets, and Bears all hold the potential to shift the landscape. And as always, trades could shake up the order.

This year’s draft is about the future, yes—but it will also honor the past. Green Bay legends like Mason Crosby, Ahman Green, and Clay Matthews will join NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to open the event.

Throughout the weekend, other greats—Lynn Swann, Joe Thomas—and current stars like Jonathan Taylor will step forward to announce selections, bridging generations of NFL greatness.

What Lies Ahead

As the Titans prepare to make the first selection, the question looms: Will they choose Cam Ward, or shock the world?

What’s certain is that over three days in Green Bay, lives will change, teams will transform, and fans will witness the beginning of countless stories yet to be written. The draft is more than a selection—it’s a declaration of belief in what’s possible.

And now, it’s almost time to begin.