The NFL draft is where young athletes hear their names called and receive validation for all the hard work they’ve put into their dream to be a professional athlete. Each team has a chance to select one player in each of the seven rounds of the draft.
The first round is held on Thursday, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday and the final four through seven rounds on Saturday. Teams have 10 minutes to make their first-round selection, and the time they get to choose decreases for each subsequent round.
In addition to the on-stage drama of the draft, each day will feature a host of in-venue fan engagement moments. From team roll calls to t-shirt tosses and live fan cams, these moments will keep the energy high. Fans also can test their knowledge during trivia sessions and be part of the audience for the inaugural NFL Draft Live performance featuring a headlining national musical artist.
The 2025 draft will also include three compensatory picks, which are awarded under the terms of resolution JC-2A, enacted by the league in November 2020. This new resolution rewards teams that lose minority candidates for a head coach or general manager position with draft capital. The additional picks are allocated according to a proprietary formula that considers a team’s salary, playing time and postseason honors. The three compensation picks will be conducted in rounds three through seven. The rest of the draft picks are based on a reverse order of regular-season finish, and ties are broken by division or conference tiebreakers.