The NFL Draft wasn’t always such an extravagant affair. Today, though, it is one of the most anticipated weekends on the NFL calendar, and its proceedings take over entire cities. The draft itself, fan interactions, and legends in attendance make it a truly memorable time of the year.
But this grand event ushered in a new era once the league switched to a new city to host it every year. For the vast majority of NFL history, New York was the site of the NFL Draft. However, that changed in 2015, and every year, cities make their bid. With the 2026 NFL Draft location already secure, there has been some development about the following year.
What City Will Host the 2027 NFL Draft?
In 2025, it was Green Bay, Wis., that served as exceptional hosts to one of the most memorable drafts in recent history. Whether it was a blockbuster trade for Travis Hunter or the unprecedented slide for Shedeur Sanders, the draft had a little bit of everything.
Next year, the excitement heads to Pittsburgh, after drawing over 600,000 fans in 2025. However, the year after that, Washington, D.C., has been chosen as the official host for 2027, as was officially confirmed courtesy of John Keim of ESPN.
The event, expected to be held at the National Mall underneath the Washington Monument, is the latest step from the District of Columbia to ensure that the football scene in Washington is thriving and well.
This comes after the Commanders confirmed that they would be returning to their old stadium, the site of their home field from 1961 to 1966, after a $4 billion renovation project is complete.
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Kleim also added that the recent developments come hand in hand with the revival of the Commanders franchise, especially since the new ownership group, spearheaded by Josh Harris and Magic Johnson, took over.
“The Commanders, floundering under previous owner Dan Snyder, have transformed themselves under majority owner Josh Harris. He bought the team in July 2023 and watched the franchise go from 4-13 in his first year to 12-5 and the NFC Championship Game this past season under first-year general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.”
With a new stadium in their future, an excited fanbase getting their first sustained taste of success in nearly two decades, and a general positive football vibe throughout the area, it might be a possibility that the record Detroit set in 2024 of 750,000 people for the NFL Draft is blown out of the water.