NFL draft 2017: Dates, schedule, times, order, and more

After months of workouts, tape study, and mindless speculation, NFL draft week is finally here. Over three days, the league’s 32 teams will replenish their rosters with a crop of college football stars, all of whom are looking to make their mark at the pro level.

The first round of the draft will take place on Thursday, with the second and third rounds on Friday night. The final four rounds will be on Saturday. ESPN and NFL Network have complete coverage of the draft, and fans can stream it online at WatchESPN.

The Cleveland Browns are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick, and Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is widely expected to be the first name off the board. Cleveland also holds the No. 12 overall pick, setting up some potential scenarios where it could trade up to grab a quarterback of the future.

This year’s draft is stacked on defense, especially at defensive back. But as usual, the biggest names are on offense. The quarterback class doesn’t have an obvious can’t-miss stud prospect, but there are plenty of intriguing players who could be useful with some development time. North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer are among the top QBs, most of whom could hear their names called in the first round.

Running back is particularly star-studded this year, and we could see several of them go early in the first round despite a recent trend against drafting them high. The biggest names are Leonard Fournette of LSU, Dalvin Cook of Florida State, and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford.

The Tennessee Titans are another team that has two first-round picks. Last year, the Titans traded down with the Los Angeles Rams, who jumped to No. 1 to draft Jared Goff. Tennessee holds the No. 5 pick after the Rams stumbled to 4-12, giving the Titans a prime opportunity to build on a squad that went 9-7 in 2016. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints snagged the No. 32 pick from the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, who traded their pick away for wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

It’s easy to mock the draft for being so bloated and taking way too long, but there’s no doubt that this is the biggest event of the NFL offseason calendar. It’s also the last relevant news happening for a while, so fans should enjoy whatever football fix they can get until the dead period between the draft and training camp.

Complete NFL draft schedule

All times Eastern

Thursday, April 27 — first round

Time: 8 p.m.

Friday, April 28 — second and third rounds

Time: 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 — fourth through seventh rounds

Time: Noon

TV: ESPN, NFL Network

Online: WatchESPN

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