Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, but there is still plenty of action to be had for this year’s selection meeting as we await the start of Night 2. Tonight we’ll get to see Rounds 2 and 3 of this year’s Draft, and this is a portion of the Draft that might be even more important to the future of the Minnesota Vikings than last night’s opener was, as they attempt to build up some depth for a team that desperately needs it.
So, how can you be a part of all of it? Let’s make sure you have everything you need to know.
Things tonight will get underway a little bit earlier than they did on Thursday, with the action getting started at 6:00 PM Central time. There are more picks to get in, so we have to get things moving a little sooner. That makes sense.
Just like last night, you can choose one of three different telecasts to get your coverage from. The Draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, or the NFL Network. Each of them will have its own distinct broadcast to choose from (meaning that ABC will not just be simulcasting ESPN’s stuff), so there’s a bit of variety for you.
Well, if you have the NFL+ app, you can get it there. They’ll be streaming the NFL Network’s coverage. In addition, both Disney+ and Hulu will be streaming ESPN and ABC’s coverage. Or if you have a service like YouTube TV, you’ll have the NFL Network or ESPN or ABC on there as well.
If you’re close enough to have a KFAN affiliate nearby, they will be carrying the Draft starting at 7:00 PM Central. If you’re not near a KFAN affiliate, you’ll be able to find it on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Channel 88, ESPN Radio, or a Westwood One affiliate in your area.
As things stand right now, the Vikings have three selections to make on Friday night. The first one is the 49th overall selection, which is a second-round pick. If the Vikings hold on to that pick, it will be the first time they’ve made a selection in the second round since they drafted Andrew Booth Jr. and Ed Ingram in 2022. They did not have second-round selections in 2023, 2024, or 2025 due to trades that they had made.
They also have two selections in Round 3. One of those is the 82nd overall pick, and one of those is the 97th overall pick. Barring any trades, they have three picks to make over the course of the evening.
In Round 2, each team gets seven minutes to make their selection, and in Round 3 each team has five minutes. However, over the course of the past few years, Day 2 of the Draft has become notorious for getting backed up as far as picks getting announced for a whole litany of reasons, the biggest of which is the fact that the NFL has a bunch of past and present players come out and announce the picks, many of whom spend a lot of time speaking about things other than the actual selection they’re out there to announce. This causes a lot of backlog and, while I’m sure it’s fun for the fans in attendance, it’s a gigantic pain in the neck (among other body parts) for those of us who are trying to cover the whole thing.
So, unlike Round 1, when we were trying not to tip picks any earlier than we had to, we will likely be putting the picks up here on The Daily Norseman as soon as we see a reputable source post them on social media rather than waiting for a formal announcement from Pittsburgh. Honestly, we’re your best bet to get them in a timely manner, I think.
Pretty much the same way we covered Night 1. We’ll have Open Discussion threads here for each round, we’ll have a quick breakdown of the picks and/or trades the Vikings make right after they get made, and we’ll hopefully have some immediate feedback from team officials both here and on our FaceBook page, should you want to check that out instead.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft that we’ve provided to you so far, and that you’ll be back this evening for even more!