Could the Event Move Back to New York?


Which city will host the 2025 NFL Draft? Looking ahead to the future, here are a few locations that might catch the eye of owners deciding where to hold the heavily-anticipated event.

Update: The NFL announced on Monday, May 22, 2023, that the 2025 NFL Draft will take place in Green Bay at Lambeau Field.

Potential Locations for the 2025 NFL Draft

On May 22, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that the location of the 2025 NFL Draft would be one of the items discussed at the Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis this week. The goal is that the location will be finalized by the end of the two-day event.

The 2023 NFL Draft was hosted in Kansas City, Missouri, and the 2024 NFL Draft is set to take place in Detroit, Michigan. The 2025 NFL Draft will presumably take the event someplace new, and while there are countless possibilities, there are also some restrictions to note.

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The 2025 draft likely won’t be in a city that’s also slated to host the Super Bowl in the near future. That rules out Las Vegas, New Orleans, and San Francisco — the cities lined up to host the next three championship games.

Beyond those three, however, virtually all major cities are fair game. But which cities might command the most interest from involved parties? Let’s take a look.

New York City, New York

From 1965 to 2014, the NFL Draft was held at various venues in New York City, the most recent of which was Radio City Music Hall. A scheduling conflict with an Easter event forced the draft to move in 2015, and since then, the location has rotated.

It would be a fitting nod to the event’s legacy, to move the NFL Draft back to New York City for a cycle. NYC is by no means short on potential locations. And both the Jets and Giants appear to be ascending — one with Aaron Rodgers, and one with Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll.

Nashville, Tennessee

It’s entirely possible that the 2025 draft is held in a completely new location to accommodate the NFL‘s sprawling growth across markets. But if the league decides to draw from its recent rotation, there are quality locations available — one of which being Nashville, Tennessee.

The 2019 NFL Draft was held in Nashville, at the Draft Main Stage on Lower Broadway. That location would be readily available once again for the NFL. Furthermore, Nashville, in particular, is a rich city with attractions for tourists to enjoy while they’re in town for the event.

Green Bay, Wisconsin

The recent implementation of an NFL Draft rotation has opened the doors for many cities across the nation to host the event. Given the event’s financial implications, some cities even covet the chance to host. Green Bay is one of those cities with an active interest in hosting the draft.

Green Bay, a storied football city, was a finalist for the 2024 NFL Draft and has been lobbying for a long time. Packers team president Mark Murphy, in July 2022, expressed optimism that Green Bay would host the draft in either 2025 or 2027.

Cincinnati, Ohio

For a large portion of the 21st century, Ohio has been a dead zone when it comes to professional football. Both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals were starved for playoff success and relevance. But now, the Bengals are coming off two AFC Championship appearances.

MORE: When Is USC QB Caleb Williams Draft Eligible?

The 2021 NFL Draft was held in Cleveland, where some of football’s most ardent fans bore witness. In 2025, the draft could return to Ohio, this time in one of the league’s surging cities. Led by Joe Burrow, Cincinnati is relevant again, and may finally be a fitting stage.

Boston, Massachusetts

As the NFL transitions to the next era of greats beyond Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots, it might be fitting to give a nod to the dynastic football empire of the 2000s and 2010s, and host the 2025 NFL Draft in Patriots territory.

The multipurpose TD Garden in Boston might be a more suitable venue than Gillette Stadium, but the premise is the same. This choice of location honors what has been in the NFL, while also turning an eye to the future.

These are, of course, just a few of many potential options for the location of the 2025 NFL Draft. There are many factors to take into consideration — among them infrastructure, financial capacity, logistics, and fan engagement — and all of those are items that the owners will discuss at the Spring League Meeting.





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