How to stream the 2019 NFL Draft for free

The 2019 NFL Draft takes place from April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee, ushering in the next class of talent looking for gridiron greatness.

Questions abound: Where will undersized but mercurial University of Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray end up? How will the rebuilding Oakland Raiders use their three first-round picks? And will the New York Giants finally select a quarterback to replace their aging superstar, Eli Manning? The three days of the 2019 NFL Draft will answer all of these questions and more. And luckily for you, there are plenty of options to stream the NFL Draft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozUGzhpUQAg

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 2019 NFL Draft, including the complete draft order, time, the number of rounds, and more.

When is the NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft will take place over the course of three days from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27. Thursday is dedicated to the first round, while the second and third rounds will commence on Friday. The latter rounds, 4-7, will take place on Saturday. The practice of holding the NFL Draft over three days began in 2010. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanted to capitalize on a heavily watched Thursday night primetime spot for the first round and spread the rest of the event out over the next two days to increase ratings.

What time is the 2019 NFL Draft?

For the first round on Thursday, the NFL Draft will officially start at 8pm ET. Friday’s second and third rounds begin at 7pm ET. The NFL Draft will then plunge into the latter rounds, 4-7, on Saturday at 12pm ET, which makes for a nice time to kick back, drink a beer, and perhaps witness the next Tom Brady get drafted.  

How many rounds are in the NFL Draft?

The 2019 NFL Draft consists of seven rounds. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, early NFL Drafts included many more rounds, as the first draft in 1936 included nine and the second draft in 1937 included 10. The number of rounds ballooned to 20 rounds in 1939 before scaling down to 12 in the 1970s. Eventually, the NFL cut back the number of rounds to its current seven to create the best possible TV product.

What channel is the NFL Draft on?

ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network will all show the 2019 NFL Draft. The ABC broadcast will be different from what you’ll find on ESPN and NFL Network for the first two days, with coverage hosted by ESPN’s College GameDay crew. Day 3’s coverage, however, will be simulcast on ABC and ESPN. ESPN2 will also provide coverage of the second and third rounds on Friday.

Besides viewing on TV, people with qualifying cable or live TV streaming packages can watch the NFL Draft on their laptop and mobile devices via both the WatchESPN and NFL Network apps. Spanish-language viewers can also watch the 2019 NFL Draft on ESPN Deportes.

How to watch the 2019 NFL Draft for Free

Considering its 2019, you don’t have to be tethered to a cable package in order to watch the NFL Draft. We’ve detailed which services provide ESPN and/or NFL Network and the benefits that come with subscribing to each of them. Of course, your budget and content tastes will determine which service works best for you, but all of them provide 7-day trials, so you can watch the 2019 NFL Draft for free.

1) Sling TV

• Sling TV pricing: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
• Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, Microsoft Edge, and iOS and Android devices
• Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)

With Sling TV, you have three options in order to stream the NFL Draft (and other live TV programming). First, you’ll want to decide if you want to watch on NFL Network or ESPN (or both). Both the Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages run customers $25 per month, but the offerings within each differs slightly. With Sling Orange, you’ll receive ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, as well as the Disney Channel and other sports channels like the ACC Network. With Sling Blue, you’ll get the NFL Network, FS1 and FS2, NBCSN, and select regional FOX Sports and NBC Sports affiliates (both packages come with non-sports channels like CNN, TNT, and AMC). However, you can combine the two, Sling Orange + Blue, to get all of the channels you see above for $40 per month. Also, for an additional $10 per month, subscribers can add the Sports Extra: Sling Blue bundle to gain NFL RedZone. No matter how you cut it, Sling TV has NFL fans covered for the NFL Draft and beyond. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)

TRY SLING TV

2) PlayStation Vue

• Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
• PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
• PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)

You can sign up for PlayStation Vue even if you don’t own a PlayStation. Which is great because Playstation Vue’s four-tiered subscription system gives new subscribers plenty of sports and NFL-related options for the cost. The Access level, which runs $44.99 per month, provides ABC and ESPN for your NFL Draft needs (as well as FOX and CBS for NFL league games, and FS1, FS2, and NBCSN for other sports), but the Core level provides so much more for only $49.99 per month. With Core, subscribers get NFL Network, as well as NBA TV, the SEC Network, and CBS Sports Network. Core also permits users to subscribe for the Sports Pack add-on for an additional $10 per month, which includes NFL RedZone for maximum pro football action (Access subscribers cannot order the Sports Pack). That’s a heck of a deal, but PlayStation Vue is sweetening the pot. From now until May 6, new subscribers can receive 20% off their first two months of the Core plan—after their free trial. (Here are all of the PlayStation Vue channels.)

TRY PLAYSTATION VUE’S CORE PACKAGE

3) Hulu with Live TV

• Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
• Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
• Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)

For around $45 per month, Hulu with Live TV gives you nearly the whole suite of ESPN options: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, and ESPN Goal Line. So not only will you receive the NFL Draft, but all of ESPN’s ancillary content (like on ESPNews), too. Unlike Sling TV’s cheaper packages, Hulu with Live TV also provides other sports networks like FS1 and FS2, NBCSN, and SEC Network, among others. This set-up is perfect for NFL fans who are also big college football fans, as watching potential members of the 2020 NFL Draft class (and beyond) becomes even easier. You’ll also get complimentary access to Hulu‘s complete on-demand catalog. (Here’s the complete list of Hulu Live TV channels.)

TRY HULU LIVE TV

4) FuboTV

• Cost: $44.99 for the first month, $54.99 per month thereafter (after a 7-day free trial)
• FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
• FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)

FuboTV is perfect for the omnivorous sports fan. You won’t get ESPN or ABC, but you’ll get nearly everything else. There’s the NFL Network for the NFL Draft and for Thursday Night Football; NBA TV for pro basketball action; NBCSN for everything from the English Premier League to the NHL and PGA; and every beIN channel for international soccer matches (including Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1), among others. And if you’re wanting to re-watch your team drafting their future Hall of Fame quarterback and all of the subsequent analysis of the selection, FuboTV gives you 30 hours of free DVR to record it all. That’s pretty cool. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)

TRY FUBOTV

5) YouTube TV

• Cost: $50 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
• YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
• YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)

YouTube TV gives subscribers all of the ESPN channels, but similar to Hulu with Live TV, it also provides all of your local broadcast networks. So the official ABC broadcast of the NFL Draft, which ABC announced will differ from ESPN’s, can be viewed via the app. Also, once the NFL season rolls around, subscribers can watch games on FOX, CBS, NBC, and ESPN. The beauty of YouTube TV is that, despite its $50 price tag, up to six people can be registered under one account, easily facilitating group situations where a bill is split with roommates. Oh, and all six people have unlimited cloud storage and can personalize their DVR. You’ll never have to worry about your roommate accidentally deleting your team’s win again before you’re able to view it. (You can find the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)

TRY YOUTUBE TV

2019 NFL draft order

Here’s when every team selects during the 2019 NFL Draft.

Round 1

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. N.Y. Jets
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. N.Y. Giants
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Detroit Lions
9. Buffalo Bills
10. Denver Broncos
11. Cincinnati Bengals
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Atlanta Falcons
15. Washington Redskins
16. Carolina Panthers
17. N.Y. Giants (from Cleveland)
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Tennessee Titans
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Seattle Seahawks
22. Baltimore Ravens
23. Houston Texans
24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago)
25. Philadelphia Eagles
26. Indianapolis Colts
27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas Cowboys)
28. L.A. Chargers
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Green Bay Packers (from New Orleans)
31. L.A. Rams
32. New England Patriots

Round 2

33. Arizona
34. Indianapolis (from N.Y. Jets)
35. Oakland
36. San Francisco
37. N.Y. Giants
38. Jacksonville
39. Tampa Bay
40. Buffalo
41. Denver
42. Cincinnati
43. Detroit
44. Green Bay
45. Atlanta
46. Washington
47. Carolina
48. Miami
49. Cleveland
50. Minnesota
51. Tennessee
52. Pittsburgh
53. Philadelphia (from Baltimore)
54. Houston (from Seattle)
55. Houston
56. New England (from Chicago)
57. Philadelphia
58. Dallas
59. Indianapolis
60. L.A. Chargers
61. Kansas City
62. New Orleans
63. Kansas City (from L.A. Rams)
64. New England

Round 3

65. Arizona
66. Pittsburgh (from Oakland)
67. San Francisco
68. N.Y. Jets
69. Jacksonville
70. Tampa Bay
71. Denver
72. Cincinnati
73. New England (from Detroit)
74. Buffalo
75. Green Bay
76. Washington
77. Carolina
78. Miami
79. Atlanta
80. Cleveland
81. Minnesota
82. Tennessee
83. Pittsburgh
84. Seattle
85. Baltimore
86. Houston
87. Chicago
88. Detroit (from Philadelphia)
89. Indianapolis
90. Dallas
91. L.A. Chargers
92. Kansas City
93. N.Y. Jets (from New Orleans)
94. L.A. Rams
95. N.Y. Giants (from New England through Cleveland)
96. Washington
97. New England
98. Jacksonville (from L.A. Rams)
99. L.A. Rams
100. Carolina
101. New England
102. Baltimore

Round 4

103. Arizona
104. San Francisco
105. N.Y. Jets
106. Oakland
107. Tampa Bay
108. N.Y. Giants
109. Jacksonville
110. Cincinnati
111. Detroit
112. Buffalo
113. Baltimore (from Denver)
114. Green Bay
115. Carolina
116. Miami
117. Atlanta
118. Green Bay (from Washington)
119. Cleveland
120. Minnesota
121. Tennessee
122. Pittsburgh
123. Baltimore
124. Seattle
125. Denver (from Houston)
126. Chicago
127. Philadelphia
128. Dallas
129. Indianapolis
130. L.A. Chargers
131. Buffalo (from Kansas City)
132. N.Y. Giants (from New Orleans)
133. L.A. Rams
134. New England
135. Indianapolis
136. Dallas
137. Atlanta
138. Philadelphia

Round 5

139. Arizona
140. Oakland (from N.Y. Jets)
141. Pittsburgh (from Oakland)
142. N.Y. Giants (from San Francisco through Detroit)
143. N.Y. Giants
144. Cleveland (from Jacksonville)
145. Tampa Bay
146. Detroit
147. Buffalo
148. Denver
149. Cincinnati
150. Green Bay
151. Miami
152. Atlanta
153. Washington
154. Carolina
155. Cleveland
156. Denver (from Minnesota)
157. Tennessee
158. Buffalo (from Pittsburgh through Oakland)
159. Seattle
160. Baltimore
161. Houston
162. Chicago
163. Philadelphia
164. Indianapolis
165. Dallas
166. L.A. Chargers
167. Kansas City
168. New Orleans
169. L.A. Rams
170. Cleveland (from New England)
171. N.Y. Giants
172. Atlanta
173. Washington

Round 6

174. Arizona
175. Pittsburgh (from Oakland)
176. San Francisco
177. New Orleans (from N.Y. Jets)
178. Jacksonville
179. Arizona (from Tampa Bay)
180. N.Y. Giants
181. Buffalo
182. Denver
183. Cincinnati
184. Detroit
185. Green Bay
186. Atlanta
187. Carolina
188. Tennessee (from Miami)
189. Cleveland
190. Minnesota
191. Baltimore (from Tennessee)
192. Pittsburgh
193. Baltimore
194. Green Bay (from Seattle)
195. Houston
196. N.Y. Jets (from Chicago through Oakland)
197. Philadelphia
198. Cincinnati (from Dallas)
199. Indianapolis
200. L.A. Chargers
201. Kansas City
202. New Orleans
203. L.A. Rams
204. Detroit (from New England)
205. New England
206. Washington
207. Pittsburgh (from Arizona)
208. Tampa Bay (from Philadelphia)
209. Minnesota
210. Cincinnati
211. Cincinnati
212. San Francisco
213. Cincinnati
214. Kansas City

Round 7

215. Tampa Bay (from Arizona)
216. Kansas City (from San Francisco)
217. N.Y. Jets
218. Oakland
219. Pittsburgh (from Tampa Bay)
220. Houston (from N.Y. Giants through Denver)
221. Cleveland (from Jacksonville)
222. Chicago (from Denver through Philadelphia)
223. Cincinnati
224. Detroit
225. Buffalo
226. Green Bay
227. Washington
228. Buffalo (from Carolina)
229. Detroit (from Miami)
230. Atlanta
231. New Orleans (from Cleveland)
232. N.Y. Giants (from Minnesota)
233. Miami (from Tennessee)
234. Miami (from Pittsburgh through Cleveland)
235. Oakland (from Seattle)
236. Jacksonville (from Baltimore)
237. Denver (from Houston)
238. Chicago
239. New England (from Philadelphia)
240. Indianapolis
241. Dallas
242. L.A. Chargers
243. New England (from Kansas City through San Francisco and Cleveland)
244. New Orleans
245. N.Y. Giants (from L.A. Rams)
246. New England
247. Minnesota
248. Arizona
249. Arizona
250. Minnesota
251. L.A. Rams
252. New England
253. Washington
254. Arizona

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