The NFL draft is an annual event that pairs college players with new teams. It blends strategy, a spectacle and intense fan engagement but behind the high stakes lies a well-defined process guided by specific rules.
The 2025 draft begins Thursday evening and will see 257 players hear their names called over the next three days. The BBC will provide live text coverage of the first round of picks, followed by rounds two through four on Friday and then rounds five through seven on Saturday.
There are plenty of storylines to follow, not least the race for the No 1 pick, where the Tennessee Titans are expected to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward. The 22-year-old threw for the most touchdown passes and the second most passing yards in college football this season. He could be a big-name addition for the Titans, who lost back-up Mason Rudolph in free agency.
During the selection process, each team has 10 minutes to make its pick. If a team doesn’t announce its choice within that timeframe, the next team can take the pick. Alternatively, the original team can trade its pick to another club.
Teams can also forfeit their draft choices for a number of reasons, including salary cap accounting errors or breaking the league’s anti-tampering policy. For example, the San Francisco 49ers have a fifth-round pick they’ve voluntarily forfeited due to a payroll accounting error in 2022. In addition, the league awards compensatory picks to teams that lose key free agents.