Even with new competition from Fox on the NFL Draft this year, ESPN is going all-in on the three-day event, with plans to cover the first round live across both ESPN and ESPN2 and simulcast the Draft’s third day on ABC. ESPN additionally will produce one of its most popular studio shows -- "College GameDay" -- from the event in Arlington, Tex., marking the first time the net will use its popular college show for NFL Draft coverage. The moves, which also include 26 consecutive hours of Draft coverage on ESPN leading up to Round 1, underscores the importance ESPN places on the NFL Draft, which has been a reliable ratings performer in the nearly four decades that ESPN has carried the event. The most intriguing move is ESPN bringing “College GameDay” to the event. Rece Davis will host from a set from the NFL Draft Experience outside AT&T Stadium alongside regulars Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack. The shows will run as pre-Draft shows April 26 (two hours) and April 27 (one hour). Starting at 8:00pm on April 26, the “GameDay” crew will move to ESPN2 to cover the Draft from a more college football-centric view. That show will be produced alongside a more traditional NFL Draft telecast on ESPN, hosted by Trey Wingo, Mel Kiper, Jr., Louis Riddick and Herbstreit. Todd McShay, Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter and Suzy Kolber also will be part of the ESPN coverage. ESPN will stream the three-day event on the ESPN App and carry the Draft’s first two days on ESPN Radio. Round 1 will be produced in Spanish for ESPN Deportes, while Spanish-language versions of Rounds 2-3 will be on ESPN3 (John Ourand, Staff Writer).
MEN OF TROY: In N.Y., Andrew Marchand reports Fox is trying to "make itself the new place to be" for the Draft by including lead game analyst Troy Aikman in its broadcast. Fox is simulcasting NFL Network's coverage, and Aikman "will be part of NFLN's first-round coverage on Day 1." Additionally, sources said that lead Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt "will be included in NFLN's pre-draft coverage" (NYPOST.com, 3/21).
