Fresh off Thursday’s surprising opening night comes Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Friday night will mark the formal beginnings of 68 NFL journeys — 32 selections in the second round, 36 in the third with compensatory picks. It’s also set to bring back familiar faces, as every franchise will have at least one current or former player in the building to announce selections.
Rounds 2-3 can transform a franchise. Recent Hall of Famers drafted in that range include Drew Brees, Terrell Owens and Brian Dawkins. Last year’s three leading rushers — James Cook, Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor— were all second-round picks. Day 2 is very much worth watching.
Here’s what to know about the different broadcasts coming live from the Steel City.
All times are ET.
How to watch the 2026 NFL Draft, Rounds 2-3
- Venues: Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh
- Time: 7 p.m., Friday
- TV: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network
- Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
ABC is free over the air. All ESPN programs are also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. NFL Network is also available on NFL+.
The draft order for Rounds 2-3
This year, eight teams did not make a pick in the first round. Heading into Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars lead that group with four Day 2 selections. The Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers each have two picks, while the Denver Broncos have one.
The 49ers are slated to start Friday’s action. They have the No. 33 pick overall due to a Thursday night trade with the New York Jets, and will again be on the clock in the second round at No. 58. The Bills also traded out of the first round; their first selection this year will come via the Tennessee Titans at No. 35. The other teams set to have multiple picks in the second round are the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.
The full draft order, updated in real time, can be found at The Athletic’s live picks tracker.
NFL Draft broadcast options for Friday
Like Thursday, there are ample options for Friday’s viewership.
Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be a live Day 2 episode of “The Athletic Football Show” with Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman and “The Beast” author Dane Brugler. Together, they’ll break down every pick with best-in-the-biz analysis.
TV coverage all falls under the Walt Disney Company, which means each of the broadcasts below can be accessed with Disney+ or Hulu subscriptions.
ABC will emphasize draftees’ narrative arcs and personal backgrounds. Rece Davis is set to anchor, with Nick Saban and Desmond Howard on the studio desk. Those three will do a one-hour “College GameDay” on ESPN starting at 5 p.m., then head to ABC for the main telecast at 7 p.m. Field Yates, Molly McGrath and Pete Thamel will report on site as well.
ESPN will focus more on stats, projections and team fits. Mike Greenberg will anchor; longtime draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. is set to join former pros Booger McFarland and Louis Riddick for commentary. Adam Schefter and Laura Rutledge will have updates and interviews, respectively.
NFL Network will also lean analytical in its program. Host Rich Eisen now has 20 NFL Drafts under his belt. Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis and Joel Klatt will be on the desk, while league insider Ian Rapoport weighs in with draft-day buzz.
For Spanish-language audiences, ESPN Deportes will have its crew of Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega, Ciro Procuna, Sebastián Martinez Christensen and Katia Castorena providing complete coverage of the draft.
Former and active players announcing Day 2 picks
In recent years, this spot has produced some memorable moments. Drew Pearson is returning to rep his Dallas Cowboys — he was an all-out wrestling heel at the 2017 draft in Philadelphia. Let’s see what goes down this time around.
Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will surely amp up the Pittsburgh crowd, and there could be some cool father-son hometown magic with Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. Maybe Mark Ingram will embrace the villain role as delegate for the rival Baltimore Ravens.
| Team | Player |
|---|---|
|
Arizona Cardinals |
James Conner |
|
Atlanta Falcons |
Michael Turner |
|
Baltimore Ravens |
Mark Ingram |
|
Buffalo Bills |
Shane Conlan |
|
Carolina Panthers |
Jake Delhomme |
|
Chicago Bears |
Jimbo Covert |
|
Cincinnati Bengals |
Ken Anderson |
|
Cleveland Browns |
Phil Dawson |
|
Dallas Cowboys |
Tony Dorsett |
|
Dallas Cowboys |
Drew Pearson |
|
Denver Broncos |
TJ Ward |
|
Detroit Lions |
Calvin Johnson |
|
Green Bay Packers |
John Kuhn |
|
Houston Texans |
Billy Miller |
|
Indianapolis Colts |
Pat McAfee |
|
Jacksonville Jaguars |
Paul Posluszny |
|
Kansas City Chiefs |
Bill Maas |
|
Las Vegas Raiders |
Matt Millen |
|
Los Angeles Chargers |
Shawne Merriman |
|
Los Angeles Rams |
Tavon Austin |
|
Miami Dolphins |
Dwight Stephenson |
|
Minnesota Vikings |
Brian O’Neill |
|
New England Patriots |
Deion Branch |
|
New Orleans Saints |
Marques Colston |
|
New York Giants |
Osi Umenyiora |
|
New York Jets |
Curtis Martin |
|
Philadelphia Eagles |
Brian Westbrook |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Jerome Bettis |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Joey Porter Jr. |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Joey Porter Sr. |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
John Stallworth |
|
San Francisco 49ers |
Andy Lee |
|
Seattle Seahawks |
Cliff Avril |
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Ronde Barber |
|
Tennessee Titans |
Jeffery Simmons |
|
Washington Commanders |
Mark Rypien |
The Athletic’s best players available
Throughout the draft, The Athletic also has a continually updated list to track the best players available. The rankings are based on how Brugler rated the players in his draft guide. The top names available entering Friday include the following:
- Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
- Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
- Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
- Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
- T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
- Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Notable Day 2 draft picks in recent years
Leaders by Pro Football Reference’s weighted career approximate value:
2025 — Carson Schwesinger, Browns LB (Round 2) and TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots RB (Round 2)
2024 — Ladd McConkey, Chargers WR (Round 2)
2023 — De’Von Achane, Dolphins RB (Round 3)
2022 — James Cook, Bills RB (Round 2)
2021 — Creed Humphrey, Chiefs OL (Round 2)
2020 — Jalen Hurts, Eagles QB (Round 2)
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