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The 2015 NFL Draft is a week away, kicking off next Thursday evening in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. The event will start with round 1 on Thursday, April 30, round 2 on Friday, May 1, and round 3 on Saturday, May 2. This marks the first time the draft has been held in Chicago in 51 years. The picture above was tweeted out from NFL PR. The coloring is different, but it does not look drastically different than the previous drafts at Radio City Music Hall.
We'll have more details next week, but if you are looking to prep your viewing schedule, here are some of the basic details (all times PT).
TV Coverage: NFL Network, ESPN/ESPN2
Round 1: Thursday, April 30, 5:00 p.m.
Rounds 2-3: Friday, May 1, 4:00 p.m.
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m.
Time limits per round
Round 1: 10 minutes per selection (49ers: Pick 15)
Round 2: 7 minutes per selection (49ers: Pick 46)
Rounds 3 through 6: 5 minutes per selection (49ers: Picks 79, 126, 151, 190, 246
Round 7, All Compensatory Picks: 4 minutes per selection (the NFL specifically used the word "all", so I am assuming that also includes comp picks in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds) (49ers: Picks 132, 254)
A year ago, the first round took 3 hours, 39 minutes. The second and third rounds combined to take 4 hours, 12 minutes. The fourth through sixth rounds combined to take 7 hours, 4 minutes.
How will folks be spending the draft this year? Do you watch bits and pieces, are you a diehard, or do you just check NN the next day? What's your TV channel of choice. I've generally stuck to NFL Network the last few years. It'd be nice to see Steve Young on NFL Network coverage, but other than that, I generally enjoy what they do. Both sides have their share of obnoxious personalities, obviously.