It’s official, Washington, D.C. is the site of the 2027 NFL Draft. President Donald Trump made the formal announcement on May 5, 2025 from the Oval Office. He was joined by Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The three-day-long draft will be held on the National Mall with the main stage being erected near the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. The NFL Draft Experience will be set up on Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Commanders co-owner and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson expressed his excitement on social media.
D.C. is Getting the NFL Draft and Magic Johnson Couldn’t be More Excited
“The 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington, D.C,” Johnson wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday.
“I’m so excited for the city and the entire DMV area! The city of D.C. is on fire right now, especially with the possibility of the new Commanders stadium being built on the old RFK site.”
The 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington, D.C. I’m so excited for the city and the entire DMV area! The city of D.C. is on fire right now especially with the possibility of the new Commanders stadium being built on the old RFK site. 🔥 https://t.co/cM5J2cf5lH
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson)
The announcement comes during a football renaissance of sorts in D.C. The Commanders just played in the NFC Championship Game, and team ownership and D.C. are trying to hammer out a deal to construct a brand new stadium and entertainment complex on the site of RFK Stadium. The proposed billion-dollar project is projected to be completed by 2030.
There are still significant matters to be settled, though. Questions remain about how much public financing will be involved. The Washington franchise was once one of the league’s most popular teams in professional sports. Regular sellouts and decades-long waiting lists for season tickets were once the norm.
However, over the last two decades, the team’s popularity had waned, and the stadium it played in degraded and began to fall apart. Poor play, unwise free agent signings, and numerous scandals that surrounded former owner Daniel Snyder allegedly plunged the team’s standing in the D.C. area. Game attendance plummeted, as the fanbase was repulsed by accusations of misconduct.
Since taking over the team, Harris has ushered in a new dawn for the franchise. A lot of it has to do with the drafting of star quarterback Jayden Daniels, but the sense of stability, winning meaningful football games, and progress has revitalized a long-dormant fan base that has been hungry for a winner.
Washington D.C. is hoping for big tourist numbers. Various reports indicate that around 600,000 people attended the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wi. The attendance record for the draft is 775,000 set in 2024 in Detroit, Mi.