The NFL Draft consists of seven rounds. This has been the standard format since 1994. Each of the 32 teams typically gets one pick per round, making at least 224 picks in total. However, the total number of selections can be higher due to compensatory picks awarded to teams that lose valuable free agents. These compensatory picks are added at the end of rounds starting from the third round, and teams can receive up to four compensatory picks, resulting in some teams having more than seven picks in a draft
. For example, the 2025 NFL Draft will have seven rounds with a total of 257 picks, including 35 compensatory selections
. The draft is spread over three days, with the first round on day one, rounds two and three on day two, and rounds four through seven on day three
