The start of the NFL draft is only hours away, and the Tennessee Titans are on the clock. When the 2025 NFL draft begins this evening, the Titans are expected to select quarterback Cam Ward from Miami with the first overall pick. Signs are pointing toward the quarterback-deficient Cleveland Browns passing on a QB and picking Travis Hunter from Colorado with the second pick. Hunter won the Heisman Trophy playing both ways as a receiver and cornerback, and Cleveland's general manager recently compared him to baseball's two-way star, Shohei Ohtani.
Next up are the New York Giants, who also need a QB but are thought to be leaning toward bolstering their defense with Abdul Carter, the rusher from Penn State. The Giants also seem keen on trading the third pick to a team looking to move up to select quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who played for his father, Deion, at Colorado. Opinions vary on Sanders, however, and he could slip to later in the first round or even to the draft's second day.
Unlike last year's draft, which saw six quarterbacks go in the first round, we might not see another quarterback picked in the first round after Ward. The strongest position groups in the 2025 draft, according to experts, are defensive line, running back and tight end.
The NFL draft is a three-day event that starts tonight with the first round at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Here's everything you need to know to watch all the action without cable.
Cam Ward, a quarterback from Miami, is expected to be the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
How can I watch the draft live?
Watch live for free: ABC will air all three days of the draft. You can watch for free if you have an over-the-air antenna hooked up to your TV and can get your local ABC station.
The Pat McAfee Show will be in Green Bay to cover the first round of the draft tonight, and you can watch on YouTube, TikTok, the ESPN app and ESPN Plus.
Subscription options: The NFL draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. There will also be a livestream on the WatchESPN or NFL Mobile apps (or ESPN.com or NFL.com). One caveat: You will need to prove you have a TV subscription (from a cable or satellite provider or live TV streaming service) that includes ESPN or the NFL Network in order to watch live on either app.
Cable TV cord-cutters have several options for watching the draft via a live TV streaming service, detailed below.
When does the NFL draft start?
The NFL draft gets underway with the first round tonight. The three days of the draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network.
Here's the TV schedule (all times ET):
Thursday, April 24
- Round 1: 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
Friday, April 25
- Rounds 2 and 3: 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on ABC, ESPN2 and NFL Network.
Saturday, April 26
- Rounds 4 to 7: Noon to 7 p.m. on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
On ESPN, Mike Greenberg will host the first two nights of the draft, alongside Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick, Booger McFarland, Adam Schefter and Molly McGrath.
On ABC, Rece Davis will host with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Field Yates. For Day 3 of the draft on Saturday, ABC and ESPN will combine forces with Davis, Kiper, Riddick, Yates and others covering rounds 4 through 7.
On the NFL Network, Rich Eisen will lead coverage featuring Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Kurt Warner, Joel Klatt and Ian Rapoport.
Where Shedeur Sanders ends up is one of the biggest questions heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
What's the order of the draft picks?
For the 2024 season, Tennessee tied with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns for the league's worst record at 3-14. However, the Titans were awarded the draft's top pick based on their weaker strength of schedule. Here's the draft order for the first 10 picks:
- Tennessee Titans
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Giants
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Chicago Bears
You can track all of the picks with ESPN's DraftCast.
Sling TV's $61-a-month Orange and Blue plan features ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. It's the cheapest option to watch the draft, but Sling TV carries ABC in only a handful of markets. If you wanted to just watch one channel, you can get ESPN with the $40-a-month Orange plan or NFL Network with the $46-a-month Blue plan.
YouTube TV costs $83 a month and includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network for the draft. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Hulu with Live TV costs $83 a month and includes all four channels showing the NFL Draft. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
Fubo's basic $85-per-month Pro package includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. Click here to see which local channels you get.
DirecTV Stream's $90-a-month Choice package includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
All of the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.