NFL draft picks 2024: Live updates, everything you need to know for first round

The 2024 NFL draft is finally upon us, live from downtown Detroit, the home – for the first time ever – of the reigning NFC North champion Lions. It’s also the first time Motown has hosted the league’s marquee offseason even in the common draft era (since 1967).

Members of the NFL are setting up the main theater area on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 for the NFL DRAFT that will be held in Detroit later this week.

The league’s 89th annual “Player Selection Meeting” won’t feature much mystery with its No. 1 pick, but things could get awfully interesting shortly after that thanks a to a crop apparently loaded with big-name offensive stars at the top of Round 1.

USA TODAY Sports will have the latest news, while analyzing each pick as it’s made Thursday night.

From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.

Bold predictions for the 2024 NFL draft

Ahead of a highly anticipated first round, how hot might the trade market get Thursday night? Who might be the first defender selected in a draft headlined by offensive stars, and how early might he go? USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts address these questions and more with some bold draft predictions.

How Washington high school, COVID-19 shaped Caleb Williams’ stardom

WASHINGTON – Caleb Williams was halfway across the country, but that didn’t stop him from attending his senior year statistics course at Gonzaga College High School.

“He would Zoom into my class every day from Norman, (Oklahoma),” said Terry Kernan, Gonzaga’s athletics director. “He would be in the football facility, or in his dorm room, or he’d be studying in the weight room. But he’d be there every day, just showing that commitment, where he could have easily just cashed it in and said, ‘I’m already at Oklahoma.‘ ”

These were abnormal circumstances for a student at Gonzaga, an all-boys Jesuit private school for grades 9-12 located roughly 10 blocks from the Capitol Building. These were also abnormal times. Like millions of Americans his age, Williams completed his senior year of high school (the 2020-21 academic year) virtually as the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed in-person learning. His senior football season was canceled.

Read Chris Bumbaca’s full feature here

What time does the 2024 NFL draft start?

Date: Thursday, April 25 (Round 1)

Start time: 8 p.m. ET

When is the 2024 NFL draft?

The 2024 NFL draft begins on Thursday (Round 1), continues Friday (Rounds 2-3) and concludes Saturday (Rounds 4-7) at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

How to watch the 2024 NFL draft

Live coverage of the NFL draft can be found on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network. Streaming coverage is also available on ESPN+, NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo TV and Sling TV.

Round 1: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, noon ET

More

Nate Davis’ final mock draft

It dropped Monday morning and, as you might expect, was top-heavy with quarterbacks in the top five − one joining his new team via a projected trade:

1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers): QB Caleb Williams, USC

2. Washington Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

3. New England Patriots: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

5. Minnesota Vikings [PROJECTED TRADE with Los Angeles Chargers]: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

6. New York Giants: WR Malik Nabers, LSU

7. Tennessee Titans: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

8. Atlanta Falcons: DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA

9. Bears: WR Rome Odunze, Washington

10. New York Jets: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

Read the full mock draft with analysis

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz’s final mock draft

It dropped Thursday morning and has a different defensive player going int the top 10 than Davis’ version.

1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers): QB Caleb Williams, USC

2. Washington Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

3. New England Patriots: QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

4. Arizona Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

5. Minnesota Vikings [PROJECTED TRADE with Los Angeles Chargers]: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

6. New York Giants: WR Malik Nabers, LSU

7. Tennessee Titans: OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame

8. Atlanta Falcons: DT Byron Murphy II, Texas

9. Bears: WR Rome Odunze, Washington

10. New York Jets: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

Read the full mock draft with analysis

2024 NFL draft’s top 125 players

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also revealed his final list of the best players on this year’s board this morning, a group that now runs more than 100 deep – meaning some of these players will definitely be available when the fourth round begins Saturday morning. As the mock drafts indicate this draft rolls deep with quarterbacks and receivers at the top, though a quality group of offensive linemen isn’t far behind.

1. Caleb Williams, QB, USC

2. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

3. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

4. Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

5. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

6. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

7. Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

8. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

9. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

10. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Read the full list of top players with analysis

2024 NFL draft tracker: First-round picks

1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers):

2. Washington Commanders:

3. New England Patriots:

4. Arizona Cardinals:

5. Los Angeles Chargers:

6. New York Giants:

7. Tennessee Titans:

8. Atlanta Falcons:

9. Bears:

10. New York Jets:

11. Minnesota Vikings:

12. Denver Broncos:

13. Las Vegas Raiders:

14. New Orleans Saints:

15. Indianapolis Colts:

16. Seattle Seahawks:

17. Jacksonville Jaguars:

18. Cincinnati Bengals:

19. Los Angeles Rams:

20. Pittsburgh Steelers:

21. Miami Dolphins:

22. Philadelphia Eagles:

23. Vikings (from Cleveland Browns via Houston Texans):

24. Dallas Cowboys:

25. Green Bay Packers:

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

27. Cardinals (from Texans):

28. Buffalo Bills:

29. Detroit Lions:

30. Baltimore Ravens:

31. San Francisco 49ers:

32. Kansas City Chiefs:

▶ Entire 2024 NFL draft order

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL draft picks 2024: Live updates, everything you need to know for first round