President Donald Trump used the Oval Office in the White House to announce Washington D.C. as the location for the 2027 NFL Draft. President Trump was joined by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders Owner Josh Harris during the announcement.
The draft location in Washington D.C. is reported to be at the National Mall with the Capitol as the backdrop. After President Trump made the announcement, Goodell predicted more than 1 million people would come to the national capital for the draft.
After a Long History In New York, the NFL Draft Went On the Road In 2015
A few generations of NFL fans associated the NFL Draft with New York City. The draft was in New York from 1965-2014. ESPN made the draft a “must-see” TV event. Soon, Radio City Music Hall became a bucket list event, but had little room to accommodate all the interest. The NFL decided to cash in on this popularity by awarding NFL cities with the draft. Chicago was the first city to host the NFL Draft in the new format.
Detroit Holds the Day and Weekend Record Attendance
Detroit currently holds the NFL Draft Day record at 275,000 on Day One and the total weekend record with over 775,000 fans. The predicted 1 million people in Washington D.C. for the three draft days would set the record for attendance, assuming Pittsburgh does not reset the bar as they are the 2026 host city.
This is not the first time Washington D.C. held the draft. Washington D.C. was the host back in 1940, well before the current popularity of the event. The “Nation’s Capital” will be looking forward to the festivities in two years.
