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Report: NFL Network, ESPN reporters instructed to stay quiet on No. 1 pick before announcement at draft
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Reporters for NFL Network and ESPN will have to stay off Twitter for the first few minutes of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
According to Pro Football Talk, NFL Network and ESPN reporters covering the draft have been instructed to allow the No. 1 overall draft pick to be announced in Nashville on Thursday night before reporting on the selection. That’s somewhat big news, as reporters tend to have the information a few minutes before the selection is actually announced.
Per source NFLN and ESPN reporters have been instructed not to report the identity of the first overall pick before it is made tonight.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 25, 2019
For other networks, reporters will likely still tweet out the pick before it is announced, assuming they gather the information.
The Arizona Cardinals have the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and are expected to pick either quarterback Kyler Murray or defensive end Nick Bosa. ESPN’s coverage of the draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.
It doesn’t sound like NFL Network or ESPN will silence its reporters throughout the rest of the draft, and the restriction just applies to the No. 1 overall pick.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB