The first round of the 2022 N.F.L. draft, the most important date in the league’s off-season, begins on Thursday, and this time with more than the typical pomp and circumstance from the glitz of being set in Las Vegas.
This year’s event also comes amid a frenzied free agency period, when franchise centerpieces like quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Tyreek Hill departed their teams via trades. Over seven rounds across three days, 262 prospects will be welcomed into the professional ranks and fans will immediately begin to speculate about whether their teams’ new stars will contribute immediately or need time to develop.