Bill Belichick joining forces with Pat McAfee, ESPN as analyst for NFL Draft

For the first time in over two decades, Bill Belichick won’t have a say in any draft weekend selections. But the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will still be involved in the extravaganza.

Belichick will co-host part of ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft alongside punter-turned-media star Pat McAfee live from Detroit beginning at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday night.

“I’m looking forward to it. Draft Day, Draft Weekend is always an exciting time for everybody. The teams that are building their teams and for the fans and for everybody involved in it. I’m looking forward to seeing it from the other side,” said Belichick. “It’ll be fun to be with you guys in Detroit and get your expertise.”

Even though Belichick won’t be on an NFL sideline in 2024, the longtime Patriots head coach says he’s still keeping tabs on this incoming draft class.

“It’s sort of like what I’ve been doing. Watching the players. Specifically, the ones that might be involved in our show, so the guys in the top part of the draft. But the first round leads into the second round and there’s a lot of correlation so we’ll talk about that next Thursday night. Just trying to do some preparation. I watched a lot of these guys in the fall and even some from last year when they were juniors,” said Belichick. “It’s fun to keep up with and I always enjoy this part of the season.”

Joining the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Belichick detailed what fans can expect from the draft show.

“We’ll have our own sort of draft room set up as if we were the 33rd team and watch them come off the board and talk about what other teams needs are. Potentially if there are trade conversations, that type of thing going on I think I can give a little insight into what conversations could be like in the draft rooms. [I’ve] made a few trades,” quipped a smirking Belichick.

Belichick remarked that this draft is particularly deep at wide receiver and offensive tackle.

The first round of the NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 25 beginning at 8 p.m. Rounds 2-3 will take place on Friday night. While Rounds 4-7 will take place on Saturday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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