With a busy free agency period now behind them, NFL teams turn their attention to shoring up their rosters through the draft. With a number of high-profile prospects expected to go in the top 10 picks, 2025’s NFL draft could be one of the most entertaining ever.
The basic order of the draft starts with each team’s win-loss record from the previous season. The team with the fewest wins gets first pick, then the next lowest, and so on. Teams can trade their picks up to and during the draft, but no team has yet done so with their first round pick.
The 2025 draft begins Thursday April 24 with the first round, followed by rounds two through seven on Friday and Saturday. Each round lasts an hour and a half, with the exception of the seventh round which only takes 45 minutes.
In addition to selecting new players, the three days of the draft also include a host of in-venue fan engagement moments that keep the energy up in the venue. These can include team roll calls, t-shirt tosses and live fan cams, as well as special guest appearances.
In the case of the first round, there’s a clear favorite for the No. 1 overall pick in the Tennessee Titans’ Cam Ward. Ward, a Miami Hurricanes quarterback, is considered to be the best player in the class and could become an instant star for the franchise. He is a gunslinger who has some growing to do, but has a huge ceiling in the league.