Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 NFL Draft features 26 teams with first-round selections, creating a night filled with potential trades and strategic moves for fans across the league.
- Each team now has eight minutes to make their pick in the first round, a reduction from the previous 10-minute window, aimed at keeping the draft night moving more efficiently.
- With teams like the New York Giants holding two top-10 picks and others such as the Chiefs and Jets having multiple selections spread out, fans should prepare for a draft that could stretch well past midnight depending on trade activity and pick timing.
The 2026 NFL Draft is here with 26 teams holding selections in the first round, at least for now. Whether you're a New York Giants fan eager to see your two top 10 picks come off the board or a Green Bay Packers fan hoping to see your team trade back into the opening round, it's bound to be an exciting night. The question is, when should you tune in?
Las Vegas Raiders fans can tune in at the start and check out. Giants fans need only pay attention for the first hour. But the Jets, Chiefs, Cowboys and others each have two picks to play with and they're all several selections apart. The Chiefs are staring down picks that mean the continuation or dissolution of their dynasty. It could be a long ride, even if the NFL recently tried to shorten the wait.
How long does each NFL Draft pick take? 2026 rule change explained
The NFL officially reduced the time each team has to make their selection for the 2026 draft. Teams now have eight minutes on the clock, a decrease from the previous 10-minute window.
- First round: 8 minutes
- Second round: 7 minutes
- Third round: 5 minutes
- Fourth round: 5 minutes
- Fifth round: 5 minutes
- Sixth round: 5 minutes
- Seventh round: 4 minutes
The time allowed for all the subsequent rounds remains the same.
Why the change? It's simple: The NFL Draft is a television show. Longer wait times for picks make for a worse product. So they're speeding things up to keep the night moving.
Estimated NFL Draft pick times for every team in Round 1
For the first round, the draft could go past midnight Eastern if every team takes the full eight minutes to make their picks. However, teams usually don't use the full allotted time unless they're working on a trade or were caught off guard by another pick.
Last year, the Tennessee Titans did take the full 10 minutes before putting in their pick. So we're going to assume the Raiders will do the same with their eight. After that, we're estimating an average of six minutes per pick. Just remember this is all a guessing game. One team could take eight minutes while the next two get their picks in immediately. This isn't a science.
Pick | Team | Estimated time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
1 | Las Vegas Raiders | 8:08 p.m. |
2 | New York Jets | 8:14 p.m. |
3 | Arizona Cardinals | 8:20 p.m. |
4 | Tennessee Titans | 8:26 p.m. |
5 | New York Giants | 8:32 p.m. |
6 | Cleveland Browns | 8:38 p.m. |
7 | Washington Commanders | 8:44 p.m. |
8 | New Orleans Saints | 8:50 p.m. |
9 | Kansas City Chiefs | 8:56 p.m. |
10 | New York Giants (via CIN) | 9:02 p.m. |
11 | Miami Dolphins | 9:08 p.m. |
12 | Dallas Cowboys | 9:14 p.m. |
13 | L.A. Rams (via ATL) | 9:20 p.m. |
14 | Baltimore Ravens | 9:26 p.m. |
15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9:32 p.m. |
16 | New York Jets (via IND) | 9:38 p.m. |
17 | Detroit Lions | 9:44 p.m. |
18 | Minnesota Vikings | 9:50 p.m. |
19 | Carolina Panthers | 9:56 p.m. |
20 | Dallas Cowboys (via GB) | 10:02 p.m. |
21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 10:08 p.m. |
22 | L.A. Chargers | 10:14 p.m. |
23 | Philadelphia Eagles | 10:20 p.m. |
24 | Cleveland Browns (via JAX) | 10:26 p.m. |
25 | Chicago Bears | 10:32 p.m. |
26 | Buffalo Bills | 10:38 p.m. |
27 | San Francisco 49ers | 10:44 p.m. |
28 | Houston Texans | 10:50 p.m. |
29 | Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR) | 10:56 p.m. |
30 | Miami Dolphins (via DEN) | 11:02 p.m. |
31 | New England Patriots | 11:08 p.m. |
32 | Seattle Seahawks | 11:14 p.m. |
Plus, any team in the first round could trade their pick. So you never truly know when your team will be on the clock. In 2025, there were six Day 1 trades, which is the fewest in the last 40 years. In 2024 and 2021 there were 10 each, which is more standard. However, in 2023 there were 16 and the trade market exploded in the 2022 with an NFL record 18 swaps.
This year, there have been rumblings of trade interest out of and into the top 10. Things could get crazy.
More NFL Draft news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google