Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s everything you need to know about watching tonight.
The NFL Draft has finally arrived, and 2023 is promising to be one of the most unpredictable classes we’ve ever seen. There could be unprecedented pick movement and some of the wildest trades imaginable, with no consensuses at seemingly every position, paired with teams being very concerned about the top-end talent in this draft class. In short: If you’re a football fan then this is the year to watch live.
From top to bottom it’s not that the 2023 class is “bad” per se, but rather than there’s a small handful of really good players, then an open sea of good ones. In recent days we’ve heard that teams might only have 15 first round grades in this draft, which theoretically means that if you’re picking later in the first round you’re unlikely to find value. This opens up a lot of opportunities for teams to jockey for position in trades, trying to give up as little as possible to get one of their top graded players — while others might attempt to game the system a move back, hoping one of their coveted players fall.
The biggest storylines in this draft start with the quarterbacks. There are pros and cons to each of the top four QBs in this year’s class, with Bryce Young and C.J. Stoud representing the most NFL-ready passers, while Will Levis and Anthony Richardson have bigger question marks, but more upside. This has left us with no clear path in what order they could be selected, though it’s widely assumed the Carolina Panthers will select Bryce Young with the 1st overall pick after trading up with the Chicago Bears.
Defense is a lot more interesting. There are some serious heavy-hitters like unicorn DT Jalen Carter out of Georgia, as well as EDGE rushers Will Anderson and Tyree Wilson, but nobody can really agree how these guys slot in either.
It will be fascinating to see where Texas RB Bijan Robinson goes in the draft. In isolation Robinson is one of the best players in the 2023 class, but running back is such a de-emphasized position in the NFL right now that there’s a very real chance he could fall into the 20s. There’s also equal chance someone in the Top 10 doesn’t care about position and sees him as the best player on the board, taking him anyway. There’s just so much unknown about how his draft night will go.
One position to watch is tight end. While it might not be the highest priority for most teams, the 2023 class of TEs is the best we’ve seen in over a decade. As many as six of seven tight ends could be taken in the first three rounds, with a chance of 2-3 going in the first round alone. This class will make history for the number of high picks, and there’s value EVERYWHERE.
Like always, the NFL Draft is the second-biggest day in pro football after the Super Bowl. To complement this is a stunning array of ways to watch, whether you have cable, streaming, or ever use over-the-air methods to watch local programming. Hell, even if you don’t have a screen in front of you there are myriad ways to listen.
The format isn’t changing in 2023. On Thursday night we’ll have the first round, followed by rounds two and three on Friday night, followed by the marathon on Saturday, which will cover rounds four through seven. Once again we’ll also have split broadcasts for the first three rounds, with unique desks on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network covering the draft.
TV/Streaming schedule for the 2023 NFL Draft
Thursday, April 27 (Round 1): 8 p.m. ET live on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network
Friday, April 28 (Round 2 and 3): 7 p.m. ET live on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network
Saturday, April 29 (Rounds 4-7): 12 p.m. ET live on ABC/ESPN (simulcast) and NFL Network
In addition the NFL Draft can be streamed on ESPN+, NFL+, as well as ESPN.com and NFL.com.
Who are this year’s broadcast teams and which should I watch?
ABC: Todd McShay, Kirk Herbsteit, Desmond Howard, Robert Griffin III, Rece Davis, Sam Ponder, Laura Rutledge, Pete Thamel, and David Pollack (2nd round)
ESPN: Mel Kiper Jr, Booger McFarland, Louis Riddick, Mike Greenberg, Suzy Kolber, Adam Schefter, and Chris Mortensen
NFL Network: Rich Eisen, Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Ian Rapoport, Joel Klatt, Kurt Warner, Melissa Stark, and Peter Schrager (2nd round)
In terms of who to watch, it’s really a sliding scale of how deep into football you are. ABC will present the most approachable broadcast for everyone. The ESPN team will definitely be more granular than that, appealing more to football fans. The team on NFL Network has more deep cuts and college football experts, which in turn will provide the most information — while also being the most bland.
Radio schedule
SiriusXM NFL Radio (Rounds 1-7), Westwood One Sports (Round 1) and ESPN Radio (Rounds 1-7).
Odds
DraftKings Sportsbook
