Following months of workouts, mock drafts and rumors, the 2016 NFL Draft is finally here. The first round kicks off Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and the NFL Network. The Los Angeles Rams are on the clock after they pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans to acquire the No. 1 pick, while the Philadelphia Eagles made a similarly stunning move to jump up to the second slot.
NFL Draft 2016: Time, TV schedule and more for Round 1
Everything you need to know to watch the pick-by-pick drama unfold on Thursday night.
Both teams have one clear goal in mind: finding what they hope is their franchise quarterback. After that, there is little consensus about how the rest of the first round will unfold, which should make for one of the most exciting opening nights of any draft in recent memory.
With Jared Goff and Carson Wentz near-locks to be the first two players selected by the Rams and Eagles, the San Diego Chargers are on tap to get their highest-graded prospect -- assuming they don’t swap their pick with another team. Will it be Ohio State defensive lineman Joey Bosa, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil or Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, the top three guys on SB Nation’s latest Big Board?
After that, there’s a ton of questions to be answered on Thursday night. How high will Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott be drafted? Could there be five quarterbacks taken in the first round? How far will the notable players with injuries or character red flags fall?
Both ESPN and the NFL Network will have comprehensive coverage of the first round starting at 8 p.m. ET. The Worldwide Leader will feature longtime host Chris Berman joined by a trio of analysts -- Mel Kiper Jr., Jon Gruden and Louis Riddick -- on the main set. For the NFL Network, host Rich Eisen will be at the main set with draft guru Mike Mayock, analyst Steve Mariucci and Stanford head coach David Shaw.
A fun addition to the NFL Network’s coverage is that it will have draft war room cameras at 19 different sites, giving viewers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look as team executives and front office personnel make decisions during the night.
For fans, there’s also the entertaining interviews with the draftees after they get their new caps and jerseys. Most of the first-round prospects will be in attendance, headlined by the expected top two picks, Goff and Wentz. There’s also expected to be a slew of coaches on hand, too, and you can be sure that the networks will find time to talk with them throughout the night. Some of the guys we might hear from include Urban Meyer (Ohio State), Jumbo Fisher (Florida State), Nick Saban (Alabama), Tom Herman (Houston) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson).
Here’s how you can watch the madness unfold on Thursday night:
How to watch:
Place: Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Ill.
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, NFL Network
Streaming: Watch ESPN, NFL.com
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