The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner.
And starting this year, you can expect the first round to move a little faster.
Previously, the NFL announced that each team now has only eight minutes to make a pick in the first round, reducing the time allowed for each team by two minutes. This is the first time the league has adjusted the time allowed in the first round since 2008, when the NFL reduced the allotted time from 15 minutes to 10 minutes.
The schedule for rounds 2-7 of the 2026 NFL Draft remains unchanged from last year. Teams will have seven minutes to make selections in the second round, five minutes to make their selections in rounds 3-6 and then four minutes in the seventh and final round.
Adjusting the time allowed for each pick should considerably shorten the first round, which had ended around 11:45 p.m. ET in each of the past seasons.
This is a welcome change for those of us who live on the East Coast.
With the caveat that the exact times depend on how long it takes each team to announce their picks, here are the approximate times you can expect teams that currently have a first-round pick to make their decisions:
