Everything associated with the NFL is big, but few things are more significant to more fans than the draft.
In many places, hope springs eternal around draft time. In 2023, fans will be feeling optimistic as they watch the selections being made in Kansas City, Mo., home of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Panthers are on the clock (for now) with the first pick, and they're expected to take a quarterback. C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are the two top names, but Anthony Richardson has shot up draft boards with his offseason display of skills.
RUMORS: Young favored by 'several influential voices' in Carolina for No. 1 pick
Carolina acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Bears in March. It sent the ninth and 61st picks in this year's draft, a first-round pick in 2024, a second-round selection in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore to Chicago to move up into the top spot. There were rumors the Panthers could look to trade down out of No. 1 to get back some picks.
Here's everything to know about this year's draft, including date, time, TV channels, first-round order and TSN's latest mock draft.
BIG BOARD: Ranking the top 140 prospects for 2023 NFL Draft
When is the NFL Draft in 2023?
- Dates: Thursday, April 27 (Round 1) | Friday, April 28 (Rounds 2-3) | Saturday, April 29 (Rounds 4-7)
- Start times: 8 p.m. ET Thursday | 7 p.m. ET Friday | Noon ET Saturday
- TV channels: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network (U.S.) | TSN1, TSN4 (Canada)
- Live streams: ESPN and NFL apps | ESPN+ | Fubo | DAZN (Canada)
The 2023 NFL Draft will take place from April 27-29. Round 1 will be held Thursday, April 27. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held Friday, April 28. Rounds 4-7 will be held Saturday, April 29.
MORE: Watch the 2023 NFL Draft live with Fubo (free trial)
Where is the NFL Draft in 2023?
The 2023 NFL Draft will be held in Kansas City, Mo., home of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, in the city's Union Station. This marks the first time the draft will take place in KC.
Here is the full list of the previous locations for the NFL Draft, starting with Philadelphia in 1936.
| Draft | Location | City |
| 1936 | Ritz-Carlton | Philadelphia |
| 1937 | Hotel Lincoln | New York |
| 1938 | Hotel Sherman | Chicago |
| 1939 | Hotel New Yorker | New York |
| 1940 | Schroeder Hotel | Milwaukee |
| 1941 | Willard Hotel | Washington, D.C. |
| 1942-44 | Palmer House | Chicago |
| 1945-47 | Hotel Commodore | New York |
| 1948 | Hotel Fort Pitt | Pittsburgh |
| 1949-50 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1951 | Blackstone Hotel | Chicago |
| 1952 | Hotel Statler | New York |
| 1953-54 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1955 | Warwick Hotel | New York |
| 1956 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 1-3) | Philadelphia |
| | Ambassador Hotel (Rounds 4-30) | Los Angeles |
| 1957 | Warwick Hotel (Rounds 1-4) | Philadelphia |
| | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 5-30) | Philadelphia |
| 1958-61 | Warwick Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1962-64 | Sheraton Hotel | Chicago |
| 1965-66 | Summit Hotel | New York |
| 1967 | Hotel Gotham | New York |
| 1968-71 | Belmont Plaza Hotel | New York |
| 1972 | Essex House | New York |
| 1973-74 | Americana Hotel | New York |
| 1975 | Hilton Hotel | New York |
| 1976-78 | Roosevelt Hotel | New York |
| 1979 | Waldorf Astoria Hotel | New York |
| 1980-83 | Sheraton Hotel | New York |
| 1984-85 | Omni Park Central Hotel | New York |
| 1986-94 | Marriott Marquis | New York |
| 1995-04 | Theatre at Madison Square Garden | New York |
| 2005 | Jacob Javits Convention Center | New York |
| 2006-14 | Radio City Music Hall | New York |
| 2015-16 | Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University/Grand Park | Chicago |
| 2017 | Benjamin Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia |
| 2018 | AT&T Stadium | Dallas |
| 2019 | Downtown Nashville | Nashville |
| 2020 | Held virtually | N/A |
| 2021 | Downtown Cleveland | Cleveland |
| 2022 | Caesars Forum | Las Vegas |
What time does the NFL Draft start in 2023?
The start times for the 2023 NFL Draft are 8 p.m. ET Thursday, 7 p.m. ET Friday and noon ET Saturday.
| Date | Rounds | Start time (ET) |
| Thursday, April 27 | Round 1 | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, April 28 | Rounds 2-3 | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 29 | Rounds 4-7 | Noon |
NFL Draft 2023 TV schedule
The 2023 NFL Draft will be shown on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network in the U.S., and TSN1 (Thursday) and TSN4 (Friday and Saturday) in Canada. Cord-cutters can stream the draft on the ESPN and NFL apps, through ESPN+, and with Fubo, which offers a free trial. Streaming is available in Canada through DAZN, which carries NFL Network.
| Round | Date | Start time (ET) | TV channels (U.S.) |
| Round 1 | Thursday, April 27 | 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, NFL Network |
| Rounds 2-3 | Friday, April 28 | 7 p.m. | ABC, ESPN, NFL Network |
| Rounds 4-7 | Saturday, April 29 | Noon | ABC, ESPN, NFL Network |
NFL Draft first-round order 2023
The Panthers traded into the No. 1 spot in March in a deal with the Bears. The Seahawks, Lions and Eagles have top-10 picks from earlier trades. The Saints moved back into the first round by receiving a pick from the Broncos as compensation for Denver hiring coach Sean Payton.
There are only 31 selections in the first round. The Dolphins forfeited their pick as punishment for tampering as they attempted to hire Payton and sign Tom Brady.
| Pick | Team | W-L-T |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | 7-10 |
| 2 | Houston Texans | 3-13-1 |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-13 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | 4-12-1 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 9-8 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 9-8 |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | 6-11 |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | 7-10 |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | 3-14 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 14-3 |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | 7-10 |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | 3-13-1 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 7-10 |
| 14 | New England Patriots | 8-9 |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | 8-9 |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | 8-8-1 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-8 |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | 9-8 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | 9-8 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 10-7 |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | 10-7 |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-4 |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-8 |
| 25 | New York Giants | 9-7-1 |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | 12-5 |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | 12-4 |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | 12-4 |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF via MIA & DEN) | 7-10 |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14-3 |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | 14-3 |
The Sporting News latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft
Here's the latest on how The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, in his latest mock draft with trades, sees the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft playing out:
| Pick | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Bryce Young, QB, Alabama |
| 3 | Detroit Lions (from ARI) | Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia |
| 6 | Arizona Cardinals (from LAR via DET) | Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers (from ATL) | Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson |
| 11 | Baltimore Ravens (from TEN) | Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | Jordan Addison, WR, USC |
| 13 | New York Jets | Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from NE) | Will Levis, QB, Kentucky |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois |
| 17 | Atlanta Falcons (from PIT) | Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas |
| 19 | New England Patriots (from TB) | Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia |
| 20 | Baltimore Ravens (from SEA) | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks (from BAL) | Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama |
| 25 | New York Giants | Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars (from BUF) | Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | Brian Branch, S, Alabama |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF via MIA & DEN) | Drew Sanders, LB/S, Arkansas |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame |
Jacob Camenker contributed to this report.