Virtual NFL draft presents changes for viewers

Over the past few years, the NFL draft has become a traveling road show. Las Vegas had been set to host this year’s draft, promising the league’s biggest party yet.

The COVID-19 outbreak put an end to those plans, but a virtual draft will still be held and figures to draw huge ratings, given the shutdown that has silenced most other live sports content.

The first round is set for 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday, the second and third rounds for 4-8:30 p.m. Friday and rounds 4-7 for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

All team and league personnel will participate in the draft remotely, with commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the picks — at least on the first night — from the basement of his house in Bronxville, New York.

“I think our job is to be prepared for the season, to continue to do the things to get ready,” Goodell told ESPN on Wednesday about the decision to proceed with the draft as scheduled. “It’s a different year for all of us. We’ve had to make modifications in our offseason program. We’ve had to make significant changes to our draft, and those are all appropriate and they’re right to do.”

The shutdown has caused some changes in how the draft will be delivered to viewers as well. ESPN and NFL Network are combining their coverage, with the same broadcast airing on both networks all three days.

ABC will also provide draft coverage, focusing mostly on features of the players and their families for the first two days. On Saturday, ABC will simulcast the ESPN-NFL Network presentation. Fifty-eight prospects have confirmed they will participate virtually.

The NFL has a blueprint as to how it will navigate the virtual draft, having staged a mock draft earlier this week in an attempt to work out any kinks. ESPN has one as well, having hosted the WNBA draft Friday. That broadcast received the second-highest audience in the league’s history and most in 16 years with an average of 387,000 viewers and was widely hailed as a success.

The draft will serve as a virtual national fundraiser called “Draft-a-Thon” that will support six charities in support of COVID-19 relief efforts — the American Red Cross, CDC Foundation, Feeding America, Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army and United Way. As of Wednesday afternoon, the effort had raised more than $275,000.

The Raiders have seven picks, including Nos. 12 and 19 in the first round, 80, 81 and 91 in the third, 121 in the fourth and 159 in the fifth.

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2936. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.