How much time does each team get to make their pick on Day 1 of the NFL Draft?

The 2023 NFL Draft gets started Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET and much of the NFL world expects Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to be the first quarterback off the board.

The Carolina Panthers traded up with the Chicago Bears to secure the No. 1 pick. Carolina needs a quarterback, and while C.J. Stroud and Will Levis have worked their way into the QB rumor mill, the expectation is for Young to come off the board first.

It’s possible the Panthers quickly make their pick after going on the clock, but odds are good they spend most of their time on the clock making and fielding calls in hopes of getting a godfather offer for the pick. It likely won’t come up, but there’s nothing to lose waiting out some of the clock.

NFL Draft: Time on the clock for Day 1

The Panthers and every other team in the first round will have 10 minutes to make their pick. A team can make their pick before the 10 minutes is up, and plenty will get picks in a little quicker. If a team fails to get a pick in before the 10 minutes expires, they can still make the pick, but the team after them is allowed to make a pick at any point. So, if the Panthers didn’t get a pick in before 10 minutes is up, the Houston Texans could get a pick in quickly and the Panthers would be left effectively then making the second pick of the draft.

Teams will on average spend in the 7-8 minute range and the first round will run somewhere on the order 3.5 hours, taking us to about 11:30 p.m. ET. We’ll all be rooting for teams to get picks in quick so we’re not taking this first round too late into the evening.