The Detroit Lions are set to pick earlier than they have in the last two drafts.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday, April 23, to Saturday, April 25, in Pittsburgh. Day 1 of the draft starts on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on the NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, with streaming available on Fubo.
The Lions own the No. 17 overall pick after finishing 9-8 in 2025, good for last place in the NFC North. This is the team's highest draft slot since 2023, when Detroit selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall.
The Lions need a starting offensive tackle, something many NFL experts believe they will aim for in the first round according to recent mock drafts. Detroit also has needs on the defensive line and in the secondary, though general manager Brad Holmes hasn't entirely revealed his draft strategy.
The Las Vegas Raiders own the first overall pick, and many experts project them to pick Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Lions have the highest first-round pick of any NFC North team (Minnesota at No. 18 and Chicago at No. 25), while the Green Bay Packers sent their first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons trade ahead of the 2025 season.
Here's what you need to know about Day 1 of the NFL Draft.
[ NFL mock draft predictions 4.0: Every pick in Round 1 ]
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft will be televised on the NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) on Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. ET.
All three rounds of the NFL Draft will air on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. The draft will be available to stream on Fubo, which carries ESPN channels.
All three days of the 2026 NFL Draft will be televised on the NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) at the following times.
As of Tuesday, April 21, the Lions have nine draft picks, including a compensatory pick from losing offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler to free agency ahead of the 2025 season.
The Lions traded both of their 2026 third-rounders, including a comp pick for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn getting hired as a head coach, to trade up for receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the 2025 draft.
This year's draft is scheduled for April 23-25 (Thursday-Saturday).
The 2026 NFL Draft location is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of the Steelers, at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium. The 2025 draft was in Green Bay.
Next season's draft will be in the nation's capital, Washington DC.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL Draft 2026 first round time, channel, streaming, pick order