NFL Draft: Time, location, first pick, order, mock draft

The 2024 NFL Draft is here.

After months of speculation, teams will finally make their selections this week.

Free 24/7 Connecticut news stream: Watch NBC CT wherever you are

It all begins with the first round on Thursday, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday and rounds four through seven on Saturday. While we have clarity on the first pick, the remaining 256 spots are still in limbo.

Here's a full guide to the 2024 NFL Draft, including dates, locations, picks, players, mocks and more:

Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.

NFL draft Apr 18

NFL prospect AJ Simon dies one week before the draft

NFL draft Apr 16

Why is JJ McCarthy rising up draft boards? Michigan teammate Roman Wilson explains

When is the 2024 NFL Draft?

The 2024 NFL Draft will be held on Thursday (April 25 at 8 p.m. ET), Friday (April 26 at 7 p.m. ET) and Saturday (April 27 at 12 p.m. ET). All coverage will air on ABC, ESPN, NFL Network and ESPN Deportes.

Opening night is reserved for the first round, which includes 32 selections. Day 2 will include 69 total picks -- 32 in round two and 37 in round three. To wrap things up, the final 156 picks will be made in rounds four through seven on Saturday.

Where is the 2024 NFL Draft?

The draft is heading to Detroit, Mich., this year for the first time ever.

Events will take place in the downtown area surrounding Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. The hometown Lions will be on the clock with the No. 29 overall pick on Thursday, plus seven more picks throughout the weekend (barring any trades).

Who has the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft?

The Chicago Bears hold the top pick after acquiring it in a trade with the Carolina Panthers for the No. 1 pick last year.

After trading quarterback Justin Fields, it is widely predicted that USC's Caleb Williams will be the pick. Here are some of the headlines out of Chicago analyzing their expected new franchise quarterback:

Check out the draft profile for USC's Caleb Williams, who's projected to be a high first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as a potential franchise quarterback.

What is the rest of the first round draft order?

Behind the Bears, every team will make at least one first-round pick except the Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. As of Monday, the Bears (Nos. 1 and 9), Arizona Cardinals (Nos. 4 and 27) and Minnesota Vikings (Nos. 11 and 23) hold multiple first-round picks.

While having a first-round pick doesn't necessarily guarantee any success, there's a much higher likelihood of finding a future Hall of Famer in the first 32 picks than anywhere else.

Here's the full order for the first round in 2024:

Chicago Bears (from Carolina)
Washington Commanders
New England Patriots
Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Chargers
New York Giants
Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears
New York Jets
Minnesota Vikings
Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders
New Orleans Saints
Indianapolis Colts
Seattle Seahawks
Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals
Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers
Miami Dolphins
Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland via Houston)
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals (from Houston)
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Baltimore Ravens
San Francisco 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs

Who has the most and fewest picks in the 2024 NFL Draft?

As of Monday, three teams have 11 picks each this year to lead the way: Cardinals, Packers and Rams. The other teams with double-digit picks are the Bills (10), Bengals (10) and 49ers (10).

On the other side, the Bears will make the fewest picks with just four. Two of the Bears' selections will come within the top 10, but the rest of the week could be quiet for Chicago. The only other teams with fewer than seven picks are the Browns (5), Dolphins (6) and Giants (6).

Here are more details about teams with the most and fewest picks, the full draft order and how the compensatory picks were awarded:

Who are the players in the 2024 NFL Draft?

There are 257 picks in the 2024 draft, but there are hundreds more prospects available -- some of whom will sign as undrafted free agents and some who will pursue other avenues.

At the top of the draft, there is expected to be a historic run of quarterbacks selected behind Williams. That includes LSU's Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, with Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix lingering not far behind. The class hopes to join the likes of 1983 and 2004 among the best quarterback groups in history. You can find a list of every draft-eligible quarterback right here.

Wide receiver is another strong position group in this class. Three wideouts are expected to go in the top 10: Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers and Washington's Rome Odunze. But beyond those three, the position has considerable depth all the way through the first three rounds. You can learn more about the best wide receiver in the 2024 class right here.

Former NFL coach Brian Billick shares his thoughts on the upcoming 2024 quarterback draft class.

What are the 2024 mock drafts predicting?

Even with the draft just days away, Williams to the Bears at No. 1 is the only real consensus at this point. Mock drafts from all over the country have different ideas about where players might go. Plus, there are trades to be made that nobody can predict beforehand.

Here's what our experts are predicting: