The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to start tonight at 7:00 (CT), and there are only eight minutes between first-round picks now. So if you’re planning on tuning in for the Chicago Bears’ selection at 25 overall, you should tune in at approximately 1o:20 p.m. (CT).
That’s what the math says anyway.
If the draft starts on time, which it likely won’t.
And also, if each team takes the full eight minutes, which never happens.
To be on the safe side, you should probably tune in about 10 p.m. (CT), or you can
watch the first round with us on 2nd City Gridiron, where Bill Zimmeman will host a Bears-centric first round starting at 7.
The Bears are coming off an NFC North title and a Wild Card playoff win, which means they are picking after all their divisional foes this year.
The odds of getting a difference maker at 25 are lower than all their previous top 10 picks, but that’s the price of being a good football team. Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have altered the trajectory of the franchise, and they’ll look for a consecutive playoff appearance for the first time in twenty years.
In 2006, the Bears reached the Super Bowl, and according to FanDuel Sportsbook, Chicago’s odds of winning the conference in 2026 are +1300. That’s eighth best in the NFC, and considering only seven teams make the playoffs, there’s not a lot of faith in Chicago matching last year’s 11 wins. In fact, FanDuel has the Bears’ over/under win total at 9.5.
Do you think a strong draft weekend will move the sportsbook needle at all?
