Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images QB Trevor Lawrence is projected to be the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft
Following the unique, exclusively virtual program in 2020, the NFL Draft is back this year in-person in Cleveland and will feature 12 high-profile prospects on-site, fans and the return of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s hugs.
All three days of the draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the draft online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets), ESPN, NFL Network and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the 2021 NFL Draft live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ABC (live in most markets) and ESPN are included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch the 2021 NFL Draft live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets), ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2021 NFL Draft live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
NFL Draft 2021 Preview
The 86th annual NFL Draft will welcome the return of a few of the staples that made the event so wildly popular pre-pandemic, as it kicks off Thursday night from downtown Cleveland, Ohio with coverage of the first round of selections.
The Draft, which was held in an entirely virtual format during the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic last year, will feature an in-person set up this year with a main stage for draft pick announcements. With Lake Erie serving as a backdrop, 12 high-profile NFL prospects will be on hand with another 45 attending virtually around the country. And in case you missed not seeing it last year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be back this year, fully vaccinated and ready to shell out his iconic draft day hugs to the newly-minted pros.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with the No. 1 pick, as the festivities are set to kick off Thursday night with Round 1. The projected overall No. 1 pick is the generational talent out of Clemson – quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who will be joining the draft event virtually. Lawrence lived up to the hype and then some of being the No. 1 recruit out of high school, leading Clemson to the national championship in 2018, a national title game appearance in 2019 and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2020. In three seasons, Lawrence threw for 90 TDs and 10,098 total yards, while also rushing for 18 TDs and a total of 943 yards. The Jaguars, who have finished nine of the last ten seasons with ten or more losses, should benefit immediately from Lawrence’s play-making abilities.
All eyes will be on the top-tier of QB prospects in this year’s draft, with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers potentially targeting field generals with the second and third picks, respectively. After Lawrence, teams will be looking at landing QBs Zach Wilson, who threw for 33 TDs and only 3 INTs in his career with BYU, Mac Jones, who is coming off the most efficient passing season in college football history where he led Alabama to the national title, Trey Lance, who threw for 28 TDs and zero INTs while rushing for 14 TDs and 1,100 yards in an FCS national title run for North Dakota State in 2019 and Justin Fields, who threw for 63 TDs and just nine INTs during his Ohio State career which included a run to the 2020 national championship game.
In addition to the QBs, a lot of attention will be put forth on the play-making talent of wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase out of LSU and Alabama’s dynamic duo of DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. All three of these players possess the talents to be an instant game-changer for the organization that drafts them this weekend. Chase opted out of the 2020 season, but was a force in 2019, catching 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 TDs. Smith’s star exploded in 2020 during a Heisman Trophy Award-winning season, where he finished with 117 catches, 1,856 yards and 23 TDs for the national champion Crimson Tide. Waddle, who missed the majority of the 2020 season with an ankle injury, had 17 career TDs for Alabama and possesses speed that has been compared to the Kansas City Chiefs’ speedster Tyreek Hill.
University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is expected to be a top-ten pick, as well as Oregon’s offensive tackle Penei Sewell. In the backfield, high-profile running backs Najee Harris (Alabama) and Travis Etienne (Clemson) are projected to be selected in the first two rounds.
On the defensive side of the ball, corners Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech), Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) and Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) are all expected to be first-round picks, along with linebackers Micah Parsons (Penn State), Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) and Azeez Ojulari (Georgia).
The first round will be held on Thursday night beginning at 8 p.m. ET, followed by rounds 2-3 taking place on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The 2021 NFL Draft will wrap up on Saturday with rounds 4-7 starting at 12 p.m. ET.
2021 NFL DRAFT ORDER: FIRST ROUND
1 – Jacksonville Jaguars
2 – New York Jets
3 – San Francisco 49ers (from Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans)
4 – Atlanta Falcons
5 – Cincinnati Bengals
6 – Miami Dolphins (via Philadelphia Eagles)
7 – Detroit Lions
8 – Carolina Panthers
9 – Denver Broncos
10 – Dallas Cowboys
11 – New York Giants
12 – Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami Dolphins via San Francisco 49ers)
13 – Los Angeles Chargers
14 – Minnesota Vikings
15 – New England Patriots
16 – Arizona Cardinals
17 – Las Vegas Raiders
18 – Miami Dolphins
19 – Washington Football Team
20 – Chicago Bears
21 – Indianapolis Colts
22 – Tennessee Titans
23 – New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks)
24 – Pittsburgh Steelers
25 – Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams)
26 – Cleveland Browns
27 – Baltimore Ravens
28 – New Orleans Saints
29 – Green Bay Packers
30 – Buffalo Bills
31 – Baltimore Ravens (via Kansas City Chiefs)
32 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For a full list of the 2021 NFL Draft order (Rounds 1-7), click here