Colts GM Chris Ballard pushes for a drastic five-minute NFL Draft clock, advocating for more aggressive time-shaving measures than the most recent adjustments.
Would you like to see the first round of the NFL Draft cut down to five minutes per selection?
The recent change to the first round NFL Draft clock wasn't enough for one team's general manager. After the first year of reducing the opening round pick clock from 10 minutes to just eight, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is advocating for an even shorter window.
During a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Ballard said that he'd be in favor of a five-minute clock instead, shaving another three minutes off this year's new time.
For more on his reasoning, Colts Roundtable writer Jake Arthur has more.
The 2026 NFL Draft's first round was the shortest we've seen running only 2 hours and 53 minutes, per Brian McCarthy of NFL PR. That's roughly 33 minutes shorter than last year's first round, which last 3 hours and 29 minutes with 10-minute picks. The 2024 draft was even longer.
The NFL has consistently made adjustments to speed up the round. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell first stepped into his role, the timer allowed for 15 minutes per selection; the result was an opening round that lasted more than six hours.
The NFL mercifully cut that down ahead of Goodell's second draft in 2008, going from 15 minutes to 10.
This year's change took things in the right direction, and very well could be effective enough to negate the need for further adjustment. But not for Ballard. He'd like to see it cut down even further, noting that teams should be aware of their selections by the time the draft rolls around.
However, the impact on trade conversations could be the major element impacted with an even steeper cut to the clock. A tradeoff that many general managers and owners may not be interested in entertaining.