What time does the NFL draft start? Date, start time, order and more to know for 2024

Smokescreen season is almost over.

After months of speculation, athletic testing and rumors, the 2024 NFL draft comes your way this week, and so will a bevy of new, young quarterbacks.

The Bears are on the clock, and there's very little mystery as to who will go No. 1 overall to try and remedy Chicago's quarterback conundrum. After trading Justin Fields to the Steelers in March, it seems to be all but a lock that Caleb Williams is heading to the "Windy City."

After that, the mystery is rekindled: UNC's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. could all hear their names called on Thursday night, but in what order is the question.

Here's what to know about the 2024 NFL draft, the start time, order and more:

What time does the NFL draft start?

• Date: Thursday, April 25 (Round 1)

• Start time: 8 p.m. ET

The event officially kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Bears should make their first pick around 8:15 p.m. ET.

When is the 2024 NFL draft?

• Dates: April 25-27

The 2024 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 25 and runs through Saturday, April 27 at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.

How many rounds are in the 2024 NFL draft?

There are seven rounds in the NFL draft, spread over a three-day period. In total, 257 selections will be made.

How to watch the 2024 NFL draft

Live coverage of the NFL draft can be found on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the NFL Network.

Streaming coverage is also available on ESPN+, NFL+, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo TV and Sling TV.

• Round 1: Thursday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET

• Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET

• Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 27, noon ET

NFL draft order

Here is the current draft order for Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft (as of April 22):

1. Chicago Bears (from Carolina)

2. Washington Commanders

3. New England Patriots

4. Arizona Cardinals

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. New York Giants

7. Tennessee Titans

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Chicago Bears

10. New York Jets

11. Minnesota Vikings

12. Denver Broncos

13. Las Vegas Raiders

14. New Orleans Saints

15. Indianapolis Colts

16. Seattle Seahawks

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

18. Cincinnati Bengals

19. Los Angeles Rams

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

21. Miami Dolphins

22. Philadelphia Eagles

23. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland through Houston)

24. Dallas Cowboys

25. Green Bay Packers

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

27. Arizona Cardinals (from Houston)

28. Buffalo Bills

29. Detroit Lions

30. Baltimore Ravens

31. San Francisco 49ers

32. Kansas City Chiefs

➤ Complete, seven-round order for 2024 NFL draft

USA TODAY's Steve Gardner contributed to this piece.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL draft 2024: Start time, date, order and more to know