How to Watch the 2022 NFL Draft Online from Anywhere

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A Quick Guide: Watch the 2022 NFL Draft from Anywhere in the World

The 2022 NFL Draft is almost here! Round 1 selection is Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. (EST). Rounds 2-3 will be on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m., with the final selections, Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 30 at noon.

All rounds will be covered by ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network. But football fans traveling abroad or jumping ship from traditional cable providers might need an online stream. Want to unblock geo-restricted American websites and platforms while outside the country? Just follow this quick step-by-step guide:

  1. Get a good VPN. We recommend NordVPN for live streaming video.
  2. Sign up for an account.
  3. Download the VPN onto the device you want to watch the 2022 NFL Draft on.
  4. Log in to the VPN with the info you created at registration.
  5. Connect to a server in the USA.
  6. Now visit SlingTV. Now that you’re using an American IP address, the website will let you access its services!

There are plenty of ways to live stream the NFL Draft with a VPN. We’ll show you some other outlets, and even some free ones in the article below!

The 2022 NFL Draft is just days away, with Round 1 selection set for Thursday, April 28 at 8 pm (EST). A three-day event, Rounds 2-3 will be on Friday, April 29 at 7 pm, with the final selections, Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 30 at noon.

All three days of the 2022 NFL Draft will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network. Cable cord-cutters and NFL junkies traveling outside the United States might need to pull up an online stream to keep up with 2022 Draft selections.

If you’re in the United States, you can use SlingTV to watch. If you’re outside the country, you can still get access to this platform by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). We’ll break it down for you in the article below.

How to Watch the 2022 NFL Draft Online from Anywhere in the World

While the NFL is one of the most-watched sports in the US, getting coverage of the 2022 NFL Draft outside the country is tough. On top of that, when you try to use American-based websites abroad, you’ll be hit with geo-restrictions. This means the sites only work if the website can recognize your IP address as coming from within the US.

These days, you don’t have to give up when you read an error message saying: “This site is not available in your country.” By using a VPN, you can actually get an American IP address no matter where you are in the world and unblock these sites.

Want to unblock SlingTV to watch the 2022 NFL Draft? Just follow the quick guide below:

Step-by-step guide: How to watch the 2022 NFL Draft with a VPN

  1. Choose a solid streaming VPN. For live streaming TV, we like NordVPN. They’ve got some of the fastest connections and speeds we’ve seen from American servers.
  2. Sign up for an account.
  3. Download the VPN onto the device you want to watch the 2022 NFL Draft on. NordVPN’s PC app is great, but you can also download it on mobile devices and even your SmartTV.
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  5. Log in to the VPN with the information you created at registration.
  6. Connect to a server in the USA. Once you’re connected wait about five seconds.
  7. Now visit SlingTV. Now that you’ve got that American IP address, the website will let you access its services! Just tune in to ESPN and watch all the 2022 NFL Draft coverage.

Where to Watch the 2022 NFL Draft Online

If you’re looking for an online avenue to live stream the 2022 NFL Draft, your best bet is SlingTV. Out of all the streaming platforms that offer American TV channels, it’s hands-down the cheapest. Of course, if you want to “one-and-done” the NFL Draft, you could take advantage of free trial offers from other services.

Here’s a quick comparison of the major TV services that offer access to ESPN, which will broadcast the entire 2022 NFL Draft.

ProviderPrice per monthFree trial?
SlingTV (Recommended)$35Promotions vary
YouTube TV$64.9914 days
FuboTV $64.997 days
Hulu Live TV$69.99No trial
DirecTV Stream$69.995 days

VPNs also offer privacy protection and extra security safeguards against hackers and insecure, unlicensed sites. If you’re looking to take a different route to watch the 2022 NFL Draft — or any NFL games next season — check out our guide on 12 free NFL live streaming sites.

Can I Use a Free VPN to Watch the 2022 NFL Draft?

We’ve reviewed countless VPNs, and we can tell you that not all are created equal. While the best free VPNs can be useful for lots of online activity — protecting yourself on public Wi-Fi, for example — live streaming isn’t one of them. Streaming American television is going to need a VPN that can handle the data consumption and bandwidth.

Here are some issues you might run into when using a free VPN.

  1. Data limits: This is likely the first problem you’ll have to deal with. Most free VPNs have daily or monthly data caps. If you go over the limit, you’ll notice a huge drop in quality. These caps aren’t usually enough to stream more than an hour or so. This is where you’ll find strings attached to your “free” VPN. Want more data? You’ll have to upgrade and buy a plan or more data.
  2. General speeds: Another bothersome issue with free providers is that they offer significantly slower speeds than premium VPNs. You’ll likely have to get used to buffering, interruptions, and freezing, which is always frustrating.
  3. Limited server network: A service like NordVPN offers more than 5,300 servers across 60 countries, which gives you a ton of high-speed options from around the globe. Free providers won’t be able to come close to this, and you’ll have a much smaller network to choose from.

2022 NFL Draft Schedule

RoundDate & Time (EST)Broadcasters
1Thursday, April 28 at 8 PMESPN, ABC, NFL Network
2-3Friday, April 29 at 7 PMESPN, ABC, NFL Network
4-7Saturday, April 30 at 12 PMESPN, ABC, NFL Network

What to Expect During the 2022 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently holding the top pick this year, with the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans following right behind with No. 2 and No. 3 selections. Of course, last-minute trades could throw off draft order — the most glaring being 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel’s announcement that he wants out of San Francisco.

Though promising quarterbacks are sparse, there is plenty of talent on the block this year. Top prospects like Michigan’s edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson, Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardener and NC State offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu will be closely watched.

Tech journalist
Taylor is a tech writer and online journalist with a special interest in cybersecurity and online privacy. He’s covered everything from sports and crime, to explosive startups, AI, cybercrime, FinTech, and cryptocurrency. For VPNOverview.com he follows news and developments in online privacy, cybersecurity, and internet freedom.