Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s Weekly Mock Draft Specials Plus Repertoire of NFL Draft Shows Enhance ESPN’s Programming in Advance of NFL Draft Week
- Mock Draft Specials to Air Every Tuesday on ESPN2 and Available On-Demand on ESPN+
- Live Pro Day Coverage of Top Prospects; Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL and NFL Matchup: Draft Special Add to Daily Line-Up of Studio Shows Providing the Latest Draft News
ESPN platforms are set for a robust five-week stretch (March 22 – April 22) of NFL Draft content, providing fans a multitude of angles around prospects, teams and the latest NFL news. Weekly mock draft television specials, live coverage of top prospects’ Pro Days, a behind-the-scenes look at players preparing for the Draft, and more, will precede the league’s marquee offseason multi-day event in Kansas City (April 27-29). ESPN’s multi-faceted programming, which will include a consistent presence of NFL Draft Analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, will enhance ESPN’s daily shows, where Draft news will be discussed regularly.
Please Note: ESPN will announce NFL Draft Week programming plans (April 24-29) in the coming weeks.
Mock Draft Tuesdays Headline Each Week
Anchoring the dedicated pre-Draft coverage, ESPN2 will air a new mock draft SportsCenter Special every Tuesday featuring Kiper Jr. and McShay. Each weekly edition will surround a newly released mock draft from either Draft analyst, except for the March 28 edition which will focus on ESPN NFL front office insider Mike Tannenbaum’s mock draft. Kiper Jr. and McShay mock drafts from December through March are available on-demand on ESPN+ with additional editions to be added.
Kiper Jr. and McShay will be joined weekly by a rotating cast including analyst Louis Riddick, NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller, Tannenbaum, and host Field Yates, among others.
Mock Draft SportsCenter Special Schedule:
All shows on ESPN2
** Available On-Demand on ESPN+ after ESPN2 Premiere
| Date | TIME | Mock Draft |
| Available as of March 22 | N/A | Kiper Jr. – 3.0** |
| Tuesday, March 28 | 5-6 p.m. | Tannenbaum – 1.0 |
| Tuesday, April 4 | 5-6 p.m. | McShay – 4.0** |
| Tuesday, April 11 | 5-6 p.m. | Kiper Jr. – 4.0** |
| Tuesday, April 18 | 7:30-8 p.m. | Kiper Jr. and McShay – Three Round Mock |
Additional Pre-Draft Week Programming Includes:
- NFL Live – Weekdays, 4-5 p.m. (ESPN): A daily look at the latest NFL Draft news, reaction to prospect workouts and a breakdown of the Draft’s top players in the context of specific team needs and current rosters will be covered throughout the month. Draft experts will contribute to the show along with staples: Ryan Clark, Keyshawn Johnson, Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears and Laura Rutledge.
- NFL Matchup: Draft Special – April 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN2, ESPN+): Host Sal Paolantonio, Darius Butler and Greg Cosell will analyze Draft prospects in the context of the NFL game, including how top quarterback players such as C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young will adjust to the NFL’s tempo and will be available on ESPN+ after the ESPN2 debut.
- You’ve Got Mel & Todd – April 13, 8 p.m. (ESPN2): Who will the Carolina Panthers take with the number one pick? Which wide receiver will go off the board first? Which team will make the biggest night one splash? Kiper Jr. and McShay will answer a plethora of mailbag Draft questions from fans.
- SEC and ACC Network Pro Days – SEC Network and ACC Network will continue their extensive coverage of Pro Days, providing fans a look at events such as the bench press, vertical and broad jumps, 40-yard dash, 60-yard shuttle and position workouts. Combined, both networks will carry 10 Pro Days this Draft season, with seven still to come and additional Pro Days available on ESPN+:
| DATE | SCHOOL | TIME | PLATFORM |
| Thursday, March 23 | Alabama | 1-3 p.m. | SECN |
| Friday, March 24 | Kentucky | 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | SECN |
| Monday, March 27 | Miami | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | ACCNX |
| Tuesday, March 28 | Louisville | 11 a.m. -Noon | ACCNX |
| Wednesday, March 29 | Wake Forest | 10 a.m.-Noon | ACCNX |
| Thursday, March 30 | Florida | 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | SECN |
| Friday, March 31 | Florida State | 10 a.m.-Noon | ACCNX |
Please Note: More information on ESPN’s spring college football coverage here.
- SportsCenter – (ESPN): McShay and Riddick will be on-campus for multiple Pro Days, providing live reporting on the biggest prospects including: Alabama QB Bryce Young (March 23) Ohio State QB J. Stroud (March 22), Kentucky QB Will Levis (March 24). McShay will also be in Gainesville for Florida QB Anthony Richardson (March 30).
- Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL – Weekly Series (ESPN2): In conjunction with NFL Films, Hey Rookie returns to provide fans an authentic, documentary style behind-the-scenes look at the NFL Scouting Combine, pre-Draft and NFL Draft day experiences of three top prospects: TCU’s WR Quentin Johnston, Penn State’s CB Joey Porter Jr. and Tennessee’s WR Jalin Hyatt.
According to Kiper Jr.’s latest 2023 NFL Draft prospect rankings, all three prospects rank at the top of their position groups; Johnston and Hyatt rank as the fourth and fifth best wide receivers in the Draft class, respectively, and Porter Jr. ranks as the third best cornerback in the Draft class.
Hey Rookie: Welcome to the NFL Schedule:
All episodes on ESPN2
| DATE | EPISODE | TIME |
| Monday, April 10 | 1 | 7:30-8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, April 18 | 2 | 8:30-9 p.m. |
| Tuesday, April 25 | 3 | 9-9:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, May 2 | 4 | 8:30-9 p.m. |
NFL Draft – ESPN, ABC and NFL Network from April 27-29
All three days of the NFL Draft will air on ESPN and ABC for the fifth consecutive year, with the two networks having distinct telecasts on the first two nights (Thursday, April 27 and Friday, April 28) and then ABC simulcasting ESPN’s coverage on the final day (Saturday, April 29). NFL Network will also televise the NFL Draft in its entirety. More details on NFL Draft coverage, including programming the week of the NFL Draft, will be announced in the coming weeks.
