A few weeks ago, there were rumors that Minneapolis-St. Paul was the “favorite” to host the 2028 NFL Draft. Those rumors became fact at this week’s Owners Meetings in Orlando. Seeing as the draft has been held in Chicago (2x), Detroit, and Green Bay during its recent travels, it’s only natural for the league to complete the NFC North.
The NFL will always follow dollars in all that it does. Making the draft a traveling show has been a cash explosion for the league and the cities that host it. Combined attendance for the three-day event is creeping towards a million. While the Minneapolis-St. Paul Draft is expected to be spread across the metropolitan area, its focus will be on the spectacular US Bank Stadium. Unless some architectural tricks are planned, the stadium’s footprint isn’t as expansive as recent sites. There will be a great fan turnout but I doubt attendance records will be threatened. I might even be there. It would take a lot to pull me from my draft routine. Minnesota hosting might be enough.
The NFL Draft became a nomadic event in 2015.
2015: Chicago, IL
2016: Chicago, IL
2017: Philadelphia, PA
2018: Arlington, TX
2019: Nashville, TN
2020: Virtual due to the global pandemic
2021: Cleveland, OH
2022: Las Vegas, NV
2023: Kansas City, MO
2024: Detroit, MI
2025: Green Bay, WI
2026: Pittsburgh, PA
2027: Washington DC
2028: Minnesota
The NFL Draft became a thing in 1936. For the first five decades, it was a barely noticeable thing. For the next couple decades, it was a somewhat noticeable thing. For the past three decades, the NFL Draft has become a very big thing. The ridiculous growth of the NFL Draft has been a very curious thing. A movie was even made about the damn thing.
When the draft went on the road in 2015, it felt new because it had been held in New York City for the previous fifty years. It was actually a return to what it had been. Before becoming a New York staple in 1965, the site of the draft roamed about for it’s first thirty years.
Pre-2015 draft locations:
1936: Philadelphia, PA
1937: New York City, NY
1938: Chicago, IL
1939: New York City, NY
1940: Milwaukee, WI
1941: Washington DC
1942-43: Chicago, IL
1944: Philadelphia, PA
1945-47: New York City, NY
1948: Pittsburgh, PA
1949-50: Philadelphia, PA
1951: Chicago, IL
1952: New York City, NY
1953-54: Philadelphia, PA
1955: New York City, NY
1956-61: Philadelphia, PA
1962-64: Chicago, IL
1965-2014: New York City, NY
I have been, and always will be, fascinated with the NFL Draft. The draft as an event, it’s critical part in football team-building, it’s history. All of it. It all fascinates me.
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