What time does the NFL Draft start UK? NFL Draft 2022 order, how it works and TV channel information
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The NFL season may have just finished, but preparations are already well underway for the new campaign.
The Los Angeles Rams lifted last season’s Super Bowl, with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald leading their team to a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in LA.
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Hide AdIt was a glorious night for the Rams in their own stadium, but while there is a long wait until the new season kicks off in September, preparation for the next campaign starts almost instantly.
All 32 teams will have been doing their homework on the best prospects from college for months, and in late April, that homework is put to the test in the NFL Draft.
Here’s everything you need to know about the process.
What time does the NFL Draft start UK time?
This year’s NFL Draft will take place in Paradise, Nevada, and it kicks off on Thursday, 28 April, running until the evening of Saturday, 30 April. UK time this means the first round of the NFL Draft begins at 1am on Friday 29 April.
What is the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft is where NFL teams select the players graduating from college.
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Hide AdThe 32 teams pick prospects in an order largely determined by their finish last season.
The NFL Draft functions to give the worst teams from the previous season the best chance of improvement, so the worst team from the 2021 season will pick first, and the Super Bowl winners Los Angeles Rams last.
The order doesn’t quite correlate as easily as that, though. Teams trade draft picks for players years in advance, for example, the New York Giants have the number four and number seven pick this year because they have the Chicago Bears’ seventh pick from a previous trade.
Some teams will have a number of picks in one round as a result, while other may have none at all in that round.
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Hide AdTeams can also trade picks for assets right up until the moment, as we will explain below.
How does the process work on the night?
There are seven rounds of picks, with 32 picks in each round. Only the first round is on the first night, with rounds 2-3 on the second day and the remaining rounds on day three.
Once the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell starts the clock, each team has 10 minutes to make and finalise their pick.
During that time, they will traditionally call the player they are selecting before locking in the pick, though teams regularly receive offers from other teams to trade up during this time.
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Hide AdFor example, team A could offer players or a number of picks to team B in order to acquire their higher pick.
If a trade is made, Goodell will confirm this is the case on the night, and the team acquiring the pick will then make their selection.
The picks from the Draft will link up with their new teams in early May for rookie mini-camp and they will typically sign their first contracts ahead of the season.
Only a select number of best prospects are invited to the big first night of the Draft, and those players take the stage when their name is called.
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Hide AdThe players invited are the few who are guaranteed first rounders, while others will take hope to get the call at home, and feeds are usually set up ready to catch their reactions.
What is this year’s NFL Draft first round order?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Detroit Lions
3. Houston Texans
4. New York Jets
5. New York Giants
6. Carolina Panthers
7. New York Giants (via Bears)
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Denver Broncos
10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
11. Washington Commanders
12. Minnesota Vikings
13. Cleveland Browns
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
17. Los Angeles Chargers
18. New Orleans Saints
19. Philadelphia Eagles
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. New England Patriots
22. Las Vegas Raiders
23. Arizona Cardinals
24. Dallas Cowboys
25. Buffalo Bills
26. Tennessee Titans
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28. Green Bay Packers
29. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
(The San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears or the Indianapolis Colts do not have first round picks as things stand.)
Is the NFL Draft on TV in the UK?
It is indeed. Times have not been confirmed yet, but Sky Sports NFL will show the NFL Draft live, starting with the big opening night.
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