For the second straight year, ESPN has come under scrutiny for its coverage of the NFL Draft. Last year, fans criticized the network for heavily focusing on Shedeur Sanders as he slipped to the fifth round. This year, the complaints shifted, with viewers pointing out noticeable lag during the broadcast and voicing frustration across social media.

At EssentiallySports, though, Day 1 of the draft turned into a major moment. As the opening round wrapped up, the platform’s DraftCast pulled in over 42,000 live viewers, placing it among the top-performing streams. For a broader context, The Pat McAfee Show led the charts with more than 48,000 live viewers, while EssentiallySports followed with 42.1K, comfortably ahead of multiple team-run streams.

Among those, the San Francisco 49ers drew 5.6K viewers, followed by the Cleveland Browns at 2.9K, the Minnesota Vikings at 2.4K, and the New England Patriots at 2.3K.

But it wasn’t just about the numbers. It was about the conversation. EssentiallySports featured a panel of experts and legends who broke down every pick from the first round. For instance, Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears legend and Hall of Famer, brought valuable defensive insight. Jason Cabinda, NFL veteran and sports analyst, added a player’s perspective on what these draftees are experiencing.

The expert panel also included deep-dive analysis from award-winning NFL reporter Jason La Canfora, along with Max Browne, Tony Pauline, and Tim Wood.

Day 1 of the 2026 draft largely lived up to expectations. From the Las Vegas Raiders being linked to Fernando Mendoza, to the Dallas Cowboys addressing their defense, to the Los Angeles Rams planning for the future, along with several unexpected trades, the draft got off to a busy start.

With that momentum, EssentiallySports is expected to carry similar viewership into Day 2, especially as ESPN’s coverage continues to face criticism from both fans and former players.

Ex-Chiefs OT criticized ESPN for being far behind the picks

NFL fans often find out draft picks on social media before they’re announced on the live broadcast. Some view that as spoiling the moment, including Peter Schrager, who urged fans to avoid leaks and enjoy the suspense as it unfolds. Taking to social media, he wrote:

“There is no greater suspense than the NFL draft—it is a reality show. Would you watch a reality show if, three minutes before the end of the show, they tell you who is being eliminated? There’s no valor in spoiling an NFL draft pick. So, don’t give that joy or that attaboy to those who are leaking it beforehand. Enjoy the show; be shocked once in a while.”

At the same time, though, ESPN found itself lagging behind the actual picks by a noticeable margin. For context, the NFL reduced the first-round pick window from 10 minutes to 8 minutes for the 2026 draft. Even with less time between selections, ESPN’s broadcast appeared to trail real-time developments in Pittsburgh, with multiple reports pointing to delays.

That gap didn’t go unnoticed. Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz voiced his frustration online:

“ESPN is so far behind on picks. They’re going to have to figure this 8-minute thing out because they can’t be 10+ min behind real-time. The whole tipping-pics thing is irrelevant when you feel like you can’t be on social media because the TV is that delayed.”

This year, ESPN’s coverage featured analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Mike Greenberg, Booger McFarland, and Louis Riddick anchoring the broadcast. But Day 1 still drew criticism. With Day 2 approaching, attention now shifts to whether the network can adjust its pacing and close that gap.