The NFL Draft 2026 starts on Friday night and sport.de follows the events in the live ticker. Here you won’t miss a pick or trade and you’ll also get quick analyzes of every selected player.
NFL Draft 2026: The 1st round in the LIVE TICKER
12:40 a.m.: When it comes to the draft in general, no one really knows what exactly will happen. There are only a few players who can really make a difference. And they will be gone quickly. We know Fernando Mendoza will be drawn first. But after that? Nobody currently knows who the second pick will be. Will the Jets draft linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese or edge rusher David Bailey – or will they shock us with something else entirely? And everything after that is likely to be chaotic – the Cardinals at 3 would like to trade down, but who would pay for it? The Saints, the Chiefs, maybe the Cowboys to draft each other’s top rusher? And most importantly, would anyone invest one of the more valuable 2027 picks? Because almost all picks this year after the top 10 to 15 could be relatively uninteresting if you don’t want to draft one of the numerous offensive linemen.
12:30 a.m.: We are also eagerly awaiting something really big tonight. Insider Jay Glazer spoke about this on Wednesday, although he noted that he was not allowed to say anything about it until the relevant team was “on the clock”. Nobody seems to know exactly what it’s all about yet.
12:17 a.m.: Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Cowboys have no intention of trading Pickens. Counter question: Why exactly is he signing the franchise tender today? Only a player who is under contract can be traded. On the other hand, Pickens would have absolutely no advantage in signing now unless a trade was on the table.
12:05 a.m.: And we are live! Good evening everyone. We start with some not entirely unimportant news from Texas, as wide receiver George Pickens has signed his franchise tender. Rumor has it he did this because the Cowboys are going to trade him in a few hours. Where? Unclear, but that seems to be the plan now…
+++ The path that everyone wants to take +++
+++ This is the German draft hope for 2026 +++
Marlin Klein will certainly not be selected this Thursday, but the German tight end from Michigan should have found an NFL team by Saturday at the latest. We introduce you to the Cologne:
Video: On Brady’s trail? Marlin Klein’s path to the NFL
+++ The queues are getting longer and longer +++
To secure a good spot with a view of the stage, you have to get there early, even in Pittsburgh. Almost four hours before the start of the draft, the queues at the entrance are already long, as videos on social networks show.
+++ These are the 50 best players in the draft +++
As preparations in Pittsburgh slowly enter the home stretch, we look at the players whose NFL dreams may already come true today. Which players do you need to have on the list in the early rounds and what makes up the top talent? sport.de presents the 50 best HERE in the Big Board.
+++ There’s already a lot going on in Pittsburgh +++
+++ How many trades are there in round one? +++
It’s time! The 2026 NFL Draft starts on Friday night. We know the first pick, but what happens behind it? sport.de editor Marcus Blumberg provides the ultimate forecast for the draft in his final mock draft, including some trades in the 1st round.
Click here for the article!
Before starting: In addition, there are likely to be few trades early on, as many teams are already looking ahead to 2027 and do not want to part with any high picks then.
Before starting: We already basically know who the first overall pick will be. The Las Vegas Raiders have clearly positioned themselves and will almost certainly draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza from Indiana. But behind that it gets exciting – do the New York Jets choose edge rusher David Bailey or edge/linebacker Arvell Reese, who could essentially become a star at two positions?
Before starting: Welcome to the 2026 NFL Draft! Starting tonight (April 24th) it counts! The course is being set for the coming season and beyond, and the teams are recruiting their players of the future. We’ll be there live and provide you with all the information, breaking news and analyzes directly after every pick. Let’s go!
In Round 1, each team has eight minutes to make their choice. If a team does not manage to pick in time, they will skip to the next team. But that shouldn’t happen to anyone, especially in round 1, because there’s enough time.
NFL Draft 2026: The broadcasts on NITRO & RTL+ at a glance:
Friday, April 24th, from 01:00 a.m. (CET): Draft Day 1 (Round 1) on free TV on NITRO and in the live stream on RTL+:
- From Cologne: With Florian Ambrosius, Patrick Esume, Björn Werner, Kasim Edebali, Jan Weinreich and Christian Schulz
- From the USA: With Markus Kuhn
Saturday, April 25th, from 00:30 a.m. (CET): Draft day 2 (rounds 2-3) in the free live stream on RTL+:
- From Cologne: With Jan Stecker, Jan Weinreich and Christian Schulz
- From the USA: With Markus Kuhn
Saturday, April 25th, from 6:00 p.m. (CET): Draft Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) in the free “NFL Network” live stream on RTL+*
| Date | time | Platform/Channel | Round) |
| 4/24/25 | 1 o’clock | NITRO/RTL+* | 1 |
| 4/25/25 | 12:30 a.m | RTL+* | 2-3 |
| 4/25/25 | 6 p.m | RTL+* | 4-7 (NFL Network) |
*) Live stream available in the free area.