CLEVELAND — The NFL draft will once again be shown on multiple networks, though the broadcasts will look a lot different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The most obvious change is the venue. Instead of Las Vegas, where the draft was originally supposed to take place, the televised event will originate from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut.
There will be two broadcasts for the first two nights in primetime on April 23-24. ESPN and NFL Network are teaming up on one with ESPN’s Trey Wingo, Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick and Booger MacFarland. They’ll be joined by NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Daniel Jeremiah, Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner.
The other, airing on ABC, will be hosted by ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew, including Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, Maria Taylor, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Todd McShay. The format, which debuted last year, will focus less on teams’ needs and scouting reports and instead more on the personalities and journeys of the selected players from college to the pros.
The three networks will share the final day of the draft, covering rounds 4-7, on April 25.
This year’s draft will also include a “Draft-A-Thon,” featuring stories about healthcare workers and first responders working the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. Viewers will have the opportunity to donate money to several charities during the broadcasts.
“By bringing the exceptional on-air talent and production staffs of both ESPN and NFL Network together, we hope to deliver a unified presentation of the draft that not only helps raise awareness and funds for the COVID-19 relief efforts, but also provides entertainment that millions of sports fans have been craving,” said NFL Network Senior Vice President of Programming and Production Mark Quenzel in a press release.
The Browns, by the way, have the 10th pick in the draft.
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