What time does 2024 NFL draft start, and when Bears will make their picks
What time does 2024 NFL draft start, and when Bears will make their picks originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The 2024 NFL draft is just over one week away, and it should be an exciting time for Bears fans. The team is expected to add dynamic quarterback Caleb Williams, and then has an opportunity to add another potential franchise cornerstone with the No. 9 overall pick. Here’s when it all goes down if you want to catch the action.
WHEN IS THE 2024 NFL DRAFT
The draft begins on Thursday, Apr. 25. The league will go through the entire first round that night. The second and third rounds take place on Friday, Apr. 26. A marathon session on Saturday, Apr. 27 takes care of rounds four through seven.
WHAT TIME DOES THE 2024 NFL DRAFT START
The draft begins at 7 p.m. on Apr. 25. The second round picks up at 6 p.m. on Apr. 26 and day three begins at 11 a.m.
WHEN WILL THE BEARS MAKE THEIR 2024 NFL DRAFT PICKS
The first pick is easy to predict, but after that things get tough. The Bears have almost certainly made their decision for the No. 1 overall pick already. Their evaluation of Williams is done, and their decision not to bring in other highly-touted QBs for a top-30 visit, like Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, tells you everything you need to know. However the Bears pick might not come right at 7 p.m. Each team has 10 minutes to make its pick in the first round, so if the Bears want to do the league a solid and extended TV coverage in pursuit of the almighty advertising dollar, they could wait a bit before they turn in their card.
Given each team has 10 minutes to make their pick, the latest the Bears would make their selection with the No. 9 pick would be 8:30 p.m., give or take a few minutes for the TV coverage and audiences to settle in before the action begins. Not all teams take the full 10 minutes, though. A quick Google search says the first round typically takes about four hours to complete. That averages out to seven and a half minutes per pick. Using this extremely scientific method, that indicates the Bears be on the clock for their No. 9 pick at 8 p.m.
Of course, the Bears might not use the No. 9 pick at all! A trade up doesn't feel likely at this point, but Poles has made aggressive moves in the past to get his guys. If a big time player like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Joe Alt starts to fall, we can’t rule out a surprising move to snag an elite talent. On the other hand, if the top players on the Bears’ board are all gone by the time they’re back on the clock, Poles could decide to trade back and recoup some picks.
In either case, the timing for when they’d make their second draft pick would be very different.
Given the numerous variables from the start of the second round to the start of the third round– where the Bears are slated to make the No. 75 pick– and the start of the fourth round– where they have the No. 122 pick– I won’t even hazard a guess as to when the Bears will be on the clock on days two and three.
HOW MUCH TIME DOES EACH TEAM HAVE TO PICK IN THE NFL DRAFT
The amount of time NFL teams have to decide on their picks varies by round. As mentioned above, every team is allotted 10 minutes per pick in the first round. From there the league picks up the pace. Teams get seven minutes per pick in the second round, then five minutes per pick for rounds three through six. For round seven, teams only get four minutes to make their picks. As soon as a team hands in its draft selection card to an NFL runner, the clock resets for the next pick.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A TEAM RUNS OUT OF TIME BEFORE MAKING DRAFT PICK?
If a team allows the clock to expire without making a pick, the next team in line has the opportunity to turn in their card for the next pick instead. However, the team that ran out of time doesn’t forfeit the pick entirely. They can still make their pick later, whenever they turn in their card.
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