The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off tonight, April 23, at 8:00 pm ET. The Cleveland Browns are scheduled to have two first-round picks: No. 6 and No. 24 overall. What time will those picks take place?
This year, there is a big change to the first round. Instead of 10 minutes to make a selection, teams will only have 8 minutes to make their pick in the first round. If the draft started on the dot, that might lead you to believe the Browns would be on the clock at the end of the first hour.
However, there are a few factors to consider:
- Typically, at 8:00 pm, there is still a little bit of stalling before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell comes out to the stage to welcome everyone to the draft festivities.
- The first team, the Las Vegas Raiders, should know who they are going to select (Fernando Mendoza). For the sake of television, teams that pick first often do not turn their card in immediately. However, they also should not take the full amount of time allotted to them.
If each team took their full amount of time and things started on time, then the Browns would be on the clock at 8:40 pm and would make the selection at No. 6 overall at 8:48 pm. I still think we’ll see a little stalling at the beginning of the draft, though, so because of that, I would suggest Browns fan tune in between 8:40 pm to 9:00 pm, to be safe.
When it comes to Cleveland’s pick at No. 24 overall, they are estimated to be on the clock again at 11:04 pm, with the pick coming at 11:12 pm. Obviously, the further you get into the draft, the more unpredictable the times become, so it’s best to have a draft tracker up on your phone (or better yet, have Dawgs By Nature open) so you can keep tabs on when Cleveland’s second pick is approaching.
Odds are now available on FanDuel for who is expected to be taken at No. 6 overall. OT Spencer Fano (2.9/1), WR Carnell Tate (3.3/1), LB Sonny Styles (5.5/1), OT Francis Mauigoa (7/1), WR Jordyn Tyson (9/1), OT Kadyn Proctor (12/1), OT Monroe Freeling (15/1), S Caleb Downs (18/1), RB Jeremiyah Love (22/1), and DE Rueben Bain (22/1) have the top 10 odds to go at that pick.
