How to Watch: The First Round of the 2021 NFL Draft
It's that time of the year once again.
A year ago this month, nine Alabama players were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Four of those players were taken in the first round in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 3 to the Miami Dolphins, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 10 to the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Henry Ruggs III at No. 12 to the Las Vegas Raiders and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy at No. 15 to the Denver Broncos.
This season, the Crimson Tide looks to outdo its 2020 draft results and increase its number of first round picks. While the team had four former players join the ranks of the NFL in the first round last season, some mock drafts have as many as six Alabama players being drafted in the first 32 picks on Thursday.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the draft experts who has six players going in the first round of his mock draft. Along with quarterback Mac Jones third overall to the San Francisco 49ers — the same draft spot that Tagovailoa had the year before — Kiper also has wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the top 10 at No. 8 to the Carolina Panthers.
According to Kiper, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is likely to go at No. 11 to the New York Giants followed closely by cornerback Patrick Surtain II at No. 12 to the Philadelphia Eagles. The final two Crimson Tide players in the first round are likely to be running back Najee Harris at No. 24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive tackle Christian Barmore will close out the first round as the No. 32 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The first round of the draft will take place at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, with the second and third rounds taking place on Friday and rounds 4-7 closing out the draft on Saturday.
Below you'll find all the information you need to plan your draft day on Thursday:
Draft Day Information
Where: Several locations in Cleveland, Ohio: FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.
When: 7 p.m. CT, Thursday.
TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network.
Online: FuboTV, ESPN app, NFL app.
2020 Draft: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL Draft was moved from its original location in Las Vegas to a virtual event. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the picks of each round from the basement of his home. While the annual draft attracts viewers from around the world each and every year, last year was an even more special occasion as it marked a return of sorts of sports to the United States. In total, four Alabama players were selected in the first round of the draft, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy.
Draft History: The first NFL draft was held in 1936 in Philadelphia. While the process has come along way from 90 college players' names being written on a chalkboard for franchises to mull over and pick from, the principle of the draft remains the same: to pick the best that college football has to offer to suit each team's needs. While the first draft didn't have any media coverage, the first televised draft took place on the fledgling ESPN in 1980. Since that time, the event has grown to become one of the largest annual NFL events, second only to the Super Bowl in terms of fan anticipation.
