NFL Draft's First Round Sets New Speed Record

0:00It's April 24th. NFL News Today starts now. AI powered and game ready. I'm Cory with the story. The NFL drafts first round just clocked its fastest time ever in the 32 team era, wrapping up in two hours and 53 minutes on Thursday night. That's quicker than the old record from 2012, which hit exactly three hours. Fans felt the speed, and it was no illusion. The big change came from dropping the time per pick from 10 minutes to 8, slicing more than half an hour off last year's three hours and 29 minutes. Back in 2024, it dragged to three hours and 46 minutes, so this pace felt like a win. Under Commissioner Roger Gadell, who's been at the helm for nearly 20 years, draft times have haps since his first one in 2007, which crawled at six hours and eight minutes. That led to cuts from 15 minutes per pick down to 10 and now 8. Broadcasters struggled to keep up, lagging on analysis and interviews, while teams wanted extra seconds for trades.

1:02Looking ahead, the second round already runs at seven minutes per pick, matching rounds three through six on Saturday. The NBA does first rounds in five minutes flat, same as the NFL's final rounds at four. Could we push even faster next year in Washington, DC? This quicker flow matches our fast scrolling world, keeping the hype alive without the endless weight.