NFL Draft Start Time 2016: Live Stream, TV Schedule and Latest Rumors

The 2016 NFL draft is shaping up to be a wild one. The NFL's biggest offseason spectacle has already provided fans with some intriguing moves, and we should expect more on Thursday night when the draft begins in Chicago. 

When it comes to the draft, it's hard to think of a bigger event in the sports world that doesn't actually involve playing a game. Of course, there's an entire meta-game that comes with the draft. The closer we actually get to the event, the more information comes out that may or may not be true as teams try to smokescreen their way to the players they like. 

Here's a look at a few of the rumors swirling as draft time approaches and just how likely it is that each will actually come to fruition on draft night. But first, here's a guide to catching all of the action over the next three days.

Date	Time (ET)	Round(s)	TV	Live Stream
Thursday, April 28	8 p.m.	1	ESPN and NFL Network	WatchESPN
Friday, April 29	7 p.m.	2-3	ESPN* and NFL Network	WatchESPN
Saturday, April 30	Noon	4-7	ESPN and NFL Network	WatchESPN

Rumors to Watch

Josh Doctson Will Be the First Receiver Taken

The 2016 class of wide receivers is an interesting one. Laquon Treadwell has probably been the leader in the clubhouse to some extent since he signed with Ole Miss as a 5-star receiver in 2013, per 247Sports. But now, just hours from the draft, a new name is gaining buzz as potentially the first receiver taken: Josh Doctson. 

The Wyoming-to-TCU transfer has made a name for himself as a great route-runner with strong hands. Some teams consider him to be the top receiver in the class, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report:

According to Cole, Doctson could hear his name called as early as No. 15 overall to the Tennessee Titans should the tackle they prefer not fall to them. He also mentions that Treadwell could find himself falling out of the first round altogether.

Likelihood: 35 percent

Without disrespecting Doctson—who was a tremendous player at TCU and worthy of a first-round pick—this doesn't seem bound to happen. 

First, there's the matter of Treadwell. The Ole Miss receiver has been at the center of a lot of derision from media types, but much of that might come from his below-average speed. Matt Harmon of Backyard Banter detailed how Treadwell manages to win on deep routes without the help of great speed:

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More proof that speed is overrated: Treadwell posted an above average success rate vs. coverage score on all three of the downfield routes—the post, nine and corner. The player with 4.63 speed wins downfield. Being a vertical threat is just as much about deception and the receiver’s work within the first ten yards of a route as it is about running fast. Treadwell routinely wins off the line against press coverage, and doesn’t tip his routes. In fact, he sells the defender on the idea he’s stay[ing] shallow before shuttling downfield. He utilizes that same deception with the subtle head fakes to send a corner one way before breaking the opposite direction to earn separation. 

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Ultimately, when a player seemingly drops down mock drafts and draft boards right before the draft, it is suspect. Treadwell's drop could well be real, but it seems just as likely that it's something teams have let "slip" in order to have a shot at grabbing him later in Round 1. 

Even if Treadwell isn't the first receiver taken, there's still Corey Coleman of Baylor, Michael Thomas of Ohio State and Will Fuller of Notre Dame for Doctson to compete against. 

It wouldn't be shocking to see Doctson become the first receiver taken in this draft, but it comes down to a team's personal taste, so this is far from a foregone conclusion. 

Browns Trading Back Again to Target Ezekiel Elliott

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

As usual, the Browns should make the first round interesting. The franchise that brought you first-round blockbusters that included the likes of Trent Richardson and Johnny Manziel always seems to find its way into interesting deals regardless of who is in the front office. 

This year is already no different, as the Browns already completed a trade with the Eagles that moved them from No. 2 to No. 8. 

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Browns might not be done yet:

In order for a team to trade back, there has to be a market for a specific player that teams want to move up for. That player appears to be Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to Rapoport. 

Elliott alluded to the Chicago Bears as a team that loves him on The Dan Patrick Show. The New York Giants aren't exactly set at running back either, and the Dolphins just lost Lamar Miller in free agency. 

Likelihood: 70 percent

This rumor makes a lot of sense. Elliott is the only back worthy of first-round consideration, and you have three teams in the same region of the pecking order that could use his services. 

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Then you have the Browns, who are in the perfect position to start a bidding war. The Browns' head of football operations, Sashi Brown, shed some light on the team's mindset with the eighth pick. 

"We're set, locked in, know who we'll be taking," Brown said on 92.3 The Fan (h/t Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). "And if that player's not there, or if we get another offer that just blows our socks off, we'll know how to react to that."

That sounds like a team that won't be all that interested in actually using the No. 8 pick unless the mystery man Cleveland has in mind happens to be there. 

If he isn't, then it's likely the Browns will engage in yet another first-round trade. 

Colin Kaepernick Saga Will End with Trade to Denver

As long as Colin Kaepernick is on the San Francisco 49ers roster, rumors will continue to follow him. General manager Trent Baalke told ESPN's Bob Holtzman that it's possible the team will manage to trade the quarterback away. 

Cole took that next step and detailed a possible deal involving the Denver Broncos in the video below:

According to Cole, the rumor is that the Niners would like to package Kaepernick and their second-round selection (37th overall) to move up to the Broncos' pick at No. 31 in the first round, where they would select Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook. 

Likelihood: 15 percent

The trade makes some semblance of sense. The Broncos are in need of a solution at quarterback after Peyton Manning's retirement. The current plan of attack is going into the season with Mark Sanchez. 

From the Niners' perspective, this is just about perfect. They'll miss out on having either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz slip to them, so taking Cook, who could be the quarterback of the future, would be a positive. 

In this scenario, the 49ers only have to give up a quarterback who has become a thorn in their side to move up the six spots they need to get a potential franchise signal-caller. 

Here's where it gets problematic, though. According to Mike Klis of 9News, the Broncos haven't even talked about acquiring Kaepernick recently:

The organization's silence on Kaepernick could be to keep a trade under wraps, but the likelier scenario is that it feels comfortable with Sanchez as a stopgap while it brings along its own quarterback of the future. 

If that's how the Broncos feel, it makes much more sense for them to take Cook for themselves and force the Niners to figure out their own solution to the Kaepernick problem. 

This rumor sounds much more like wishful thinking on San Francisco's part than something that will actually happen on draft night.