More than 110 hours of NFL Draft programming begins Saturday, April 9
In the three weeks leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft (April 28-30), ESPN networks will offer more than 110 hours of programming highlighting the draft and many of this year’s top prospects. The show schedule features the seventh season of Jon Gruden’s QB Camp series, SportsCenter Specials, the NFL Films-produced Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL, and new NFL Matchup: Draft Specials.
Gruden’s QB Camp kicks off ESPN’s NFL Draft lineup Saturday, April 9, on ABC with back-to-back premieres spotlighting Cal’s Jared Goff (4 p.m. ET) and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz (4:30 p.m.), the top quarterbacks in this year’s class. Other highlights this month:
- Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL (April 12 at 7:30 p.m., ESPN) This four-part NFL Films-produced series features top draft prospects Jared Goff (California), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State), Christian Hackenberg (Penn State), Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell (Mississippi), Noah Spence (Eastern Kentucky), Karl Joseph (West Virginia), and Kenneth Dixon (Louisiana Tech). The series provides a behind-the-scenes look at the prospects at the NFL Combine, during their Pro Day workouts, and in their hometowns.
- NFL Matchup: Draft Special (April 12 at 8 p.m., ESPN) In two 30-minute specials, Sal Paolantonio, Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski examine the differences between the college game and the NFL, the traits needed to ensure a successful transition and which players are best equipped to perform well at the next level. Hoge and Jaworski previewed these shows and discussed the 2016 NFL Draft on a conference call yesterday (audio replay).
- SportsCenter Special: Draft Room Simulation (April 14 at 8 p.m., ESPN) Trey Wingo hosts the hour-long special with NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay, former NFL head coach Herm Edwards, and former NFL general managers Mark Dominik, Bill Polian and Phil Savage. A same-day encore presentation begins at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- SportsCenter Special: You’ve Got Mel & Todd (April 20 at 7 p.m., ESPN2) Wingo hosts this hour-long, interactive show where NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and McShay answer fan questions via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (#AskMelandTodd).
- ESPN Sport Science: Draft Combine (April 20 at 8 p.m., ESPN2) This hour-long special follows top prospects Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State), Paxton Lynch (Memphis), Jalen Ramsey (Florida State), DeForest Buckner (Oregon), Shaq Lawson (Clemson), Jarran Reed (Alabama), Josh Doctson (TCU), Corey Coleman (Baylor), Treadwell, Nkemdiche and others as they participated in a series of football-relevant tests focused on skills players use in the game. Gathering data through the years, host John Brenkus and the ESPN Sport Science team has seen these metrics predict NFL success.
- SportsCenter Special: Mel & Todd’s Mock Draft (April 21 at 7:30 p.m., ESPN) Wingo hosts this 90-minute special with NFL Insiders Adam Schefter and Louis Riddick as Kiper and McShay rotate making first-round selections. Following the show, ESPN.com will post Kiper and McShay’s selections for Round 2. A same-day encore presentation will air at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- SportsCenter Special: GMs Roundtable (April 25 at 9 p.m., ESPN2) Wingo hosts the hour-long special with three of its former NFL general managers, Dominik, Polian and Savage.
- SportsCenter Special: NFL Nation Mock Draft (April 26 at 7 p.m., ESPN) Wingo hosts this 90-minute special featuring ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters from throughout the league, with McShay and Polian providing analysis. Following the show, ESPN.com will post the selections NFL Nation reporters made for Round 1. A same-day encore presentation begins at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
- E:60 (April 26 at 10 p.m., ESPN) This hour-long special includes an NFL Draft feature on Elliott and more NFL-focused stories.
- SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown (April 28 at 7 p.m., ESPN) Chris Berman, Jon Gruden, Kiper, Riddick, Schefter and Suzy Kolber preview the 2016 NFL Draft from Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
- SportsCenter Special: Draft Grades (May 1 at 7 p.m., ESPN2) The day after the NFL Draft concludes, Wendi Nix, Jaworski, Edwards, Kiper and McShay review all seven rounds and evaluate team selections. The encore presentation airs May 3 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
- The seventh season of Gruden’s QB Camp includes Goff, Wentz, Lynch, Hackenberg, Dak Prescott (Mississippi State), Cardale Jones (Ohio State), and Connor Cook (Michigan State). Debut episodes are included in the chart below.
NFL Draft Programming
| Date | Time (ET) | Show | Network |
| Sat, Apr 9 | 4 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Jared Goff | ABC |
| 4:30 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Carson Wentz | ABC | |
| Tue, Apr 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL Episode 1 | ESPN |
| 8 p.m. | NFL Matchup: Draft Special Episode 1 | ESPN | |
| Thu, Apr 14 | 8 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Draft Room Simulation | ESPN |
| Sat, Apr 16 | 12 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Paxton Lynch | ESPN |
| 12:30 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Dak Prescott | ESPN | |
| Tue, Apr 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL Episode 2 | ESPN |
| 8 p.m. | NFL Matchup: Draft Special Episode 2 | ESPN | |
| 8:30 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Christian Hackenberg | ESPN | |
| 9 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Cardale Jones | ESPN | |
| Wed, Apr 20 | 7 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: You’ve Got Mel & Todd | ESPN2 |
| 8 p.m. | ESPN Sport Science: Draft Combine | ESPN2 | |
| Thu, Apr 21 | 7:30 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Mel & Todd’s Mock Draft | ESPN |
| 9 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Best of Gruden’s QB Camp | ESPN | |
| Sat, Apr 23 | 4 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp – Connor Cook | ESPN |
| Mon, Apr 25 | 9 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: GMs Roundtable | ESPN2 |
| Tue, Apr 26 | 7 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: NFL Nation Mock Draft | ESPN |
| 9:30 p.m. | Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL Episode 3 | ESPN | |
| 10 p.m. | E:60 | ESPN | |
| Thu, Apr 28 | 7 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Draft Countdown | ESPN |
| Sun, May 1 | 7 p.m. | SportsCenter Special: Draft Grades | ESPN2 |
| Tue, May 3 | 8:30 p.m. | Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL Episode 4 | ESPN |
* All ESPN networks are available to stream live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Schedule subject to change.
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