A fresh crop of talent lies at the forefront of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots used the three-day event as a springboard back to relevancy last season, when they dethroned the Buffalo Bills as divisional kings and outlasted the rest of the AFC conference for a trip to Super Bowl LX.
A big reason for their meteoric rise is head coach Mike Vrabel and the front office hitting multiple home runs in last year's draft. Players like Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, Jared Wilson, Kyle Williams, Craig Woodson and Andy Borregales all contributed in a major way to the Patriots' improbable postseason run.
That should be the team's goal heading into the 2026 draft, armed with 11 picks at their disposal. They could throw 11 darts at the draft board, or they could package some of their extra picks for trades to move up and get the players they really want. It all starts on Thursday night.
Here's how to watch Round 1 of the draft, including time and TV schedule:
The 2026 NFL draft will be airing live on television via the NFL Network, ESPN and ABC. FUBO will also be showing the event as a live stream option, which includes a free trial for new subscribers.
Date and start time: Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL draft is slated for Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will include the entire first round of the draft and will air live on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft