How that star-powered programming will jibe with the main event is anybody's guess. Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce selections from the basement of his home. The league has welcomed fans to boo him, as is tradition, through a beer-sponsored promotion.

Draft prospects will be shown in their living rooms via remote cameras, the league having mailed technology kits to 58 players ahead of time. Of course, social distancing guidelines still apply at home, and the league asked that players not gather in large groups or wear or consume anything not branded by an approved list of sponsors. In some ways, that footage may recall the simpler days before fans attended the event. In others, viewers will still be reminded that the draft — broadcast to millions of fans on several TV networks as well as on various streaming apps — is as much about celebrating the business of the N.F.L. as it is about the players.

How to Watch

All times are Eastern.

The 85th N.F.L. draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the NFL Network, and it will be streamed here.

The first round is scheduled to start Thursday at 8 p.m. Day 2, which covers the second and third rounds, will begin Friday at 7 p.m. Day 3, consisting of Rounds 4 to 7, will begin at noon Saturday.

How Will a Remote Draft Work?

Teams will have 10 minutes to make their first-round picks on Thursday, seven minutes for their second-round picks on Friday, then five minutes for Rounds 3 through 6 and four minutes for the seventh and final round on Saturday. If there are technical glitches while a team is on the clock, the N.F.L. will have the option of extending the amount of time the team has to make a pick.