NFL Changes Format For 1st Round Of 2026 NFL Draft

The NFL is looking to speed up the 2026 draft. A report from Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter earlier today said that the league will shorten the time between picks in the first round of the draft from 10 to 8 minutes. The first round of the draft has taken nearly four hours in recent years. The league, to their credit, understood the 1st round was lasting far too long. The 2026 draft will take place from April 23-25, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2026 NFL Draft Order

Two-minute warning: The NFL notified teams today that it will shorten the time between picks in the first round of the draft from 10 to 8 minutes starting with the 2026 draft in Pittsburgh.

This will shorten the length of the first round, which had been finishing around 11:45p… pic.twitter.com/yMsym354PY

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 10, 2025

The 2025 NFL season has been a wild ride. That is illustrated by the top 10 of the upcoming draft. A few of the surprises include the Washington Commanders picking No. 6 overall and the Cincinnati Bengals rounding out the top 10.

Final Thoughts

April’s draft will be full of storylines. Today’s news will only make the product better, as fans will not have the first 32 picks dragged out to nearly the next day.