WATCH: NFL Draft Nabs Massive Audience & New Details on Jay Cutler's Future

Three straight days of football talk during the peak of the NFL's off-season has given both ESPN and the NFL Network their largest draft day audiences in three years. Each network drew an average three-day audience of 4.6 million viewers. That's a 6% jump from 2016's draft and the second largest ever. The largest audience to date was during 2014's draft, which was held in New York City, and featured a few high profile names, including Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, Odell Beckham, Jr., and others.

Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch credits draft uncertainty for the rise in this year's viewership, likening it to a reality show where no one was really sure what was going to happen. Switching from on the field to off, Deitsch also weighed in on ex-Chicago Bear quarterback Jay Cutler going from the sidelines to the broadcast booth, following fellow signal caller Tony Romo. Cutler will step into Fox's broadcasts this coming season.