Overview
- The eight-minute pick window, which debuted Thursday, cut the first round to about 3 hours and 5 minutes with the final pick announced at 11:05 p.m. ET.
- Viewers and former players, including Mitchell Schwartz, said ESPN and NFL Network trailed real time by about 10–13 minutes as social media revealed selections first.
- The tighter clock plus frequent ad breaks, long walkouts, and interviews left broadcasters little time for analysis before the next pick arrived.
- Sports media sites and fans slammed the telecasts as confusing and ad-heavy, prompting calls for networks to adjust commercial timing and live workflows for the rest of the draft and future years.
- This was the first pick-clock change since 2008, later rounds keep prior timing (7, 5, and 4 minutes), and some GMs such as the Steelers’ Omar Khan warned the shorter window can rush decisions and force more pre-set trade talks.