"Early rounds" refers to the initial stages or early stages of a competition or event, where participants or teams compete against each other to progress to the next round. Full definition
If I have any suggestion for them, it would be to do a couple of earlier rounds of review of a project as part of the basic package. (elearningindustry.com)
He enjoys rising to an occasion so much that you might almost suspect him of playing poorly in early rounds of tournaments just to set up his dramatic finishes. (si.com)
Early round draft picks have far more success than late round draft picks. (sbnation.com)