The city of Detroit helped make the 2024 NFL Draft a resounding success. Detroit's faithful shattered the previous attendance record with more than 775,000 fans surrounding downtown throughout the three-day event. With the 2025 NFL Draft scheduled to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, attention shifts to which city will host the 2026 NFL Draft.
The NFL is currently holding its annual spring meetings in Nashville. One of the topics being discussed is the potential finalization of the 2026 NFL Draft's location. With an announcement potentially coming later this week, we've identified five potential options.
PITTSBURGH
The city of Pittsburgh is considered a favorite to host the 2026 NFL Draft, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. The Steelers are a traditional organization with some of the league's most passionate fans. A North Shore location next to Acrisure Stadium would offer gorgeous waterfront views. Team president Art Rooney II recently confirmed that news will soon arrive. Pittsburgh would make for a terrific NFL draft host city in 2026.
DENVER
Denver remains in the running for both the 2026 and 2027 draft. Expect the state of Colorado to be awarded one of the upcoming iterations, with 2027 qualifying as more likely. Reports indicate Denver first submitted a bid to host a future NFL draft in July 2022. The multi-year effort will soon be rewarded. Denver's natural beauty offers breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains, potentially promising a visually pleasing draft.
NASHVILLE
The city of Nashville set the standard when hosting the 2019 NFL Draft. More than 600,000 fans attended the 2019 draft on Lower Broadway, setting a draft-weekend record that stood for five drafts until Detroit finally surpassed those attendance numbers in April. The NFL seemingly prefers to rotate cities across America, but Nashville was such a spectacle that the league should consider returning there sooner rather than later.
LONDON
Why not? The NFL played its first regular-season game in London, England in 2007. The International Series has grown into an overwhelming success with the league playing at least one game in London every year since 2007 (COVID-year 2020 notwithstanding). Three games were contested in London throughout the 2022-2023 campaigns, and three more are scheduled for 2024.
The reaction to football in London has been so promising that the league has since expanded its International Series to include Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. The NFL has shown a willingness to expand its wings across borders with cutting-edge creativity that now includes televised games being made available exclusively through streaming services. It's a matter of time before an NFL draft is hosted overseas.
CHARLOTTE
The city of Charlotte remains interested in hosting a future draft but has yet to submit an official bid, per reports. That makes Charlotte unlikely to host a draft over the next few years, but their interest is worth noting. Panthers owner Dave Tepper is one of the league's richest, most powerful owners. Once Tepper becomes 100% determined to host an NFL draft, expect Charlotte to emerge as a frontrunner.
