The NFL Draft is a three-day mega event held every single year in the end of the month of April or early in May. The draft takes place at the halfway mark between the end of the Super Bowl and the start of the training camp in July.
The NFL Draft is one the most exciting times in the NFL calendar year. The draft attracts so many fans to come and cheer and root for their teams. Over 200 players get to achieve their dream of turning pro.
How is the NFL Draft location determined?
The NFL Draft location plays a crucial part in attracting viewers. There are a lot of factors that go into consideration before picking a location to host the NFL Draft.
If a city is interested in hosting the three-day mega event, they must submit their bid annually. Once this is done, the 32 NFL team owners will vote and decide the next location of the NFL draft. This is usually done at least two years prior to the city hosting.
There are a few factors that are considered while selecting the location of the NFL Draft. Here are a few.
Venue Size
The NFL Draft is a mega event. The three-day extravaganza will hee hundreds of thousands of people in attendance. Hence size of the venue is an important factor. There will be different festivities taking place. The theaters, auditions and outdoor stadiums are to be taken into consideration while selecting the city.
Return on Investment
The economic return for the host city is very important. Since there will be hundreds of people attending the draft, hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls will be playing a major role. The economy of the city will be impacted. Hence this will also be taken into consideration by the league.
History and Heritage
Cities with rich football history and heritage are usually awarded the hosting rights. Take into the consideration of Detroit and Green Bay in the coming years, who have been two historic franchises in the NFL. New York is an iconic city and it has hosted the most number of drafts for a reason.
NFL Draft location history
Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, it is important to revisit the history of the NFL draft locations to understand how far we have come. The city with the most number of drafts has been New York. It has hosted 57 NFL Drafts and 50 straight drafts from 1965 until 2015, when it was decided to have cities in rotation.
Here is a list of the NFL Draft locations in the past
| Year | Location | City |
| 1936 | Ritz-Carlton | Philadelphia |
| 1937 | Hotel Lincoln | New York |
| 1938 | Hotel Sherman | Chicago |
| 1939 | Hotel New Yorker | New York |
| 1940 | Schroeder Hotel | Milwaukee |
| 1941 | Willard Hotel | Washington, D.C. |
| 1942-44 | Palmer House | Chicago |
| 1945-47 | Hotel Commodore | New York |
| 1948 | Hotel Fort Pitt | Pittsburgh |
| 1949-50 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1951 | Blackstone Hotel | Chicago |
| 1952 | Hotel Statler | New York |
| 1953-54 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1955 | Warwick Hotel | New York |
| 1956 | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 1-3) | Philadelphia |
| | Ambassador Hotel (Rounds 4-30) | Los Angeles |
| 1957 | Warwick Hotel (Rounds 1-4) | Philadelphia |
| | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (Rounds 5-30) | Philadelphia |
| 1958-61 | Warwick Hotel | Philadelphia |
| 1962-64 | Sheraton Hotel | Chicago |
| 1965-66 | Summit Hotel | New York |
| 1967 | Hotel Gotham | New York |
| 1968-71 | Belmont Plaza Hotel | New York |
| 1972 | Essex House | New York |
| 1973-74 | Americana Hotel | New York |
| 1975 | Hilton Hotel | New York |
| 1976-78 | Roosevelt Hotel | New York |
| 1979 | Waldorf | New York |
| 1980-83 | Sheraton Hotel | New York |
| 1984-85 | Omni Park Central Hotel | New York |
| 1986-94 | Marriott Marquis | New York |
| 1995-2004 | Theatre at Madison Square Garden | New York |
| 2005 | Jacob Javits Convention Center | New York |
| 2006-2014 | Radio City Music Hall | New York |
| 2015-16 | Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University / Grant Park | Chicago |
| 2017 | Benjamin Franklin Parkway | Philadelphia |
| 2018 | AT&T Stadium | Dallas |
| 2019 | Downtown Nashville | Nashville |
| 2020 | Remote | Remote |
| 2021 | Downtown Cleveland | Cleveland |
| 2022 | Las Vegas Strip & Caesars Forum | Las Vegas |
| 2023 | Downtown Kansas City | Kansas City |
| 2024 | Downtown Detroit | Detroit |
| 2025 | Lambeau Field | Green Bay |
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FAQs
A. The 2024 NFL Draft is going to happen in the city of Detroit in Michigan, around Campus Martius Parka and Hart Plaza.
A. Yes, the NFL Draft takes place in different cities every year. Up until 2015 the draft was held in New York for 50 years.
A. The owners of the 32 NFL teams vote — often two years in advance — on which city will host the next available draft.
A. New York has held 57 NFL Drafts, which is the most number for any city. The next city that has hosted the most is Philadelphia with nine NFL Drafts.
A. The 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City saw 312,000 fans in attendance and over 54 million viewers.
