NFL draft 2020: Start time, how to watch and stream the first round

The 2020 NFL draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m., but instead of taking place in Las Vegas in front of tens of thousands of fans with the Bellagio as a backdrop, this year we’ll get an intimate look at the basement of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who will announce picks from his New York home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Eagles, who like all other teams will be drafting from home, hold the No. 21 pick in the first round. All signs point to the team selecting a wide receiver to pair with Carson Wentz, but obviously we have no idea what will happen — Jeff McLane thinks the team will take LSU wideout Justin Jefferson, while Les Bowen thinks they’ll nab Arizona State receiver Brandon Aiyuk (unless they move up).

During the first round, each team has 10 minutes to make its pick, but some teams might be granted extra time if their remote equipment malfunctions while they’re on the clock. If the Birds still have the No. 21 pick, you can expect the Eagles to be on the clock for their selection around 10:45 p.m., based on the the last few years of the draft.

COVID-19 has forced a number of changes to the draft, including the absence of ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, who announced on Thursday he tested positive for coronavirus and won’t be part of ABC’s telecast.

The 58 prospects the league has invited to participate will be filmed in their homes and miss out on bear hugging Goodell. ESPN and the NFL Network will air the same broadcast, which will be a mix of studio work and analysis-from-home. Trey Wingo will host for the fourth-straight year.

For the second-straight year, ABC will offer its own telecast, which is intended for casual fans and will focus more on the journey the prospects and their families have taken to reach the NFL. But unlike last year, ABC won’t feature live musical performances.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream this year’s NFL draft:

The 2020 NFL draft is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern and run through 11:30 p.m. In addition to airing on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network, the draft will also stream on the ABC app, the ESPN app, the NFL app, and on NFL.com (cable authentication is required).

Here’s how television networks are planning to cover tonight’s NFL draft.

Hosts Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer and Maria Taylor will spearhead ABC’s coverage, joined by analysts Todd McShay, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and David Pollack. Correspondent and feature reporter Tom Rinaldi will also be part of ABC’s broadcast.

Trey Wingo will host all three days of ESPN and the NFL Network’s joint coverage out of ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Conn. Joining Wingo remotely will be ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick, and Monday Night Football analyst Booger McFarland. Suzy Kolber will conduct remote interviews with draft picks, while NFL insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter will provide updates from their respective homes.

Joining ESPN’s talent will be several NFL Network personalities, including host Rich Eisen, draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, and Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner.

For the second-straight season, ESPN Deportes will cover every round of the NFL draft in Spanish. The network’s broadcast will feature Monday Night Football announcers Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega, among others.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ picks, NFL draft triviality, and other nuggets

According to multiple reports, the Bengals will select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, this year’s Heisman Trophy winner who led the Tigers to a national championship last season.

Here’s how the top 32 picks break down heading into the first round of the draft:

» READ MORE: Can the Eagles mess up this draft? Not at wide receiver, says Mike Quick

The league awarded the Eagles three compensatory picks after the team lost quarterback Nick Foles, linebacker Jordan Hicks, and wide receiver Golden Tate during the 2019 off-season. All told, the Eagles head into the 2020 draft with eight picks.

» READ MORE: Our Eagles beat writers rank 10 first-round possibilities for the Birds