Will the NFL draft return to New York City?

Eight editions of the NFL draft have been held since the event last took place in New York City, with seven of them at physical locations. The city has hosted the highest number of drafts but has now lost its place to other cities in the United States.

The city of New York used to be the traditional home of the NFL draft for decades. Having hosted the event in its early years, the NFL draft had a 50-year stint across various locations within the city. The draft was to New York City, what the Scouting Combine is to Indianapolis.

The question, however, is whether the NFL draft will return to New York in the near future. Are we going to see the draft being held in its long-term home once again?

NFL Draft in New York City

The NFL draft came to New York City for the first time in 1937, during the second edition of the event. It was hosted at the Hotel Lincoln in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of the city. The city would go on to host another edition of the event two years later in 1939, at the New Yorker Hotel.

The NFL draft did not return to the city until 1945, when the event was held at the Commodore Hotel. The venue did not change for the 1946 and 1947 editions, making New York a five-time host. The sixth edition New York edition of the event came in 1955, at the Warwick hotel.

Things started getting interesting in 1965 when New York hosted its seventh edition of the NFL draft. Since then, New York City hosted the NFL draft uninterrupted for 50 years, from 1965 to 2014. It was held across various venues, including Belmont Plaza, New York Sheraton Hotel, Marriott Marquis, Theater at MSG, and the Radio City Music Hall.

A Possible Return to New York?

The NFL draft has not been the same without the booing of New York Jets fans. However, it doesn't seem as though the NFL is interested in having a single home for the draft like it once did. The last seven editions at physical locations have been hosted in six different cities.

Next month's edition is set to be held at Union Station in Kansas City while the 2024 draft has been awarded to the city of Detroit, with the venue being Campus Martius Park. The Green Bay Packers are also in line to host the draft at the Lambeau Field in 2025.

Practically, the earliest we can witness an NFL draft staged in New York City is 2026. It will take a whole lot of effort within the city to bring the draft back. Whether the draft returns to New York in the near future or not, the event has loads of memories within the Big Apple, which to date has hosted 57 editions of the event.