How many rounds are in the NFL Draft?

There is nothing quite like the NFL Draft. It used to be a very stodgy event that felt incredibly business-like. However, recent NFL commissioners have done their part to make it about something much, much bigger: A three-day weekend to celebrate the league and all its fans. No matter how good or bad your team is, all 32 franchises can enjoy what the draft has to offer. So how long is it anyway?

Well, there are seven rounds, spread out over the course of three days. The first round takes place in primetime on Thursday night. Day two of the draft features the second and third rounds. To wrap the whole thing up, day three of the draft comprises of rounds four through seven. Each day has a different feel to it, which makes following along to the draft even better with every passing rendition.

My favorite thing about the draft is the storylines that develop in the lead-up to it, as well as the ones that develop in real-time during the event itself. The rumors associated with each player and team is catnip for football fans, college or pro. Seeing a team trade up to get a guy is always fun, but to see a player slide down the draft board is such incredible drama. The unscripted variety of this sustains me.

While day three of the draft drags on, it is important to find value with players in every single round.

2024 NFL Draft: How many rounds are in the NFL Draft?

Although it is obvious that you want to hit on your first-round picks, not whiffing in the second and third rounds on day two are probably the most important rounds in the draft, for the value. You can get perennial Pro Bowlers in those rounds without having to pay them first-round money. They may hit free agency a year sooner, but these are the picks that change the dynamic of your entire roster.

As far as day three is concerned, you are hoping that maybe even one of those fourth-to-seventh-round picks becomes a star for you. Just to get a reliable multi-year starter is such a plus. But what you have to remember is half of the league is undrafted. Football is a game that choose you, and not the other way around. It is a collision sport, one built on great desperation. Always stay hungry, folks.

Ultimately, teams that take the draft seriously are usually rewarded for doing so. Those who go about it lackadaisically will eventually pay the price for it. New talent coming into the league keeps the locker room fresh, as well as the coaches who are decades older than the young men they coach. If you want to stay current, you must learn from those coming in you are tasked with teaching the game.

There are only seven rounds to be had in an NFL Draft, so hopefully your team picks players wisely.