2024 NFL Draft in Detroit begins today. When will the Lions make their selections?
(CBS DETROIT) — One of the biggest events in the NFL year kicks off Thursday in downtown Detroit. Aside from community events happening in the area, many people are here to see who the teams will select in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions, who finished their 2023 season with a 12-5 record, will make their first pick at the No. 29 overall spot on Thursday.
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Here's what to know about this year's draft and the Lions' picks:
When will the NFL Draft start?
The 2024 NFL Draft is a three-day event scheduled from Thursday through Saturday. There are a total of seven rounds in the draft, and each of the 32 teams is given a pick for every round. However, the teams have the option to trade their picks before and during the draft.
Round 1 will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The second day of the draft will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and include the second and third rounds. The final four rounds will close out the final day of the draft, beginning at noon Saturday.
According to the NFL, each team has 10 minutes to make their selection in the first round, seven minutes for the second round, five minutes for the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, and just four minutes for the seventh round.
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What is the Lions' 2024 pick order?
The Detroit Lions will have one pick in the first, second, third, fifth and seventh rounds and two picks in the sixth round. The team received a pick in the third round from Minnesota after the T.J. Hockenson trade. As a result of the trade, Detroit does not have a pick in the fourth round.
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The Lions also traded their regular third-round pick to Tampa Bay thanks to the Carlton Davis trade and, in exchange, received a second sixth-round pick.
Here is the Lions draft schedule:
Thursday, April 25
- Round 1: Pick 29
Friday, April 26
- Round 2: Pick 29 (No. 61 overall)
- Round 3: Pick 9 (No. 73 overall from the Vikings)
Saturday, April 27
- Round 5: Pick 29 (No. 164 overall)
- Round 6: Pick 25 (No. 201 overall from the Buccaneers)
- Round 6: Pick 29 (No. 205 overall)
- Round 7: Pick 29 (No. 249 overall)
How are draft picks decided?
The picks are given based on success from the most recent season, starting with the team with the worst record. The first 32 picks are based on whether the team made it to the playoffs.
Teams that didn't advance are given overall pick Nos. 1 through 20. The teams that went on to the playoffs will get overall picks 21-32, based on where they finished in the playoffs.
The two teams that lost in the conference championship round will get picks 29 and 30. Thus, the Lions received the No. 29 pick because they lost in the NFC Championship.
Some teams may also receive a compensatory pick, which goes to teams that lost free agents. This year, the Lions did not receive a compensatory pick.