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The 2020 NFL Draft recently wrapped up, but we can already start looking ahead to 2021. On Tuesday, April 28, the National Football League announced the dates for next year’s annual player selection which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission announced the 2021 NFL Draft will be held April 29-May 1.
The dates are a week later than the draft typically takes place.
“We’re excited for Cleveland to ‘Rock The Clock’ as the host of next year’s NFL Draft and NFL Draft Experience — assuming large gatherings can take place without compromising the well-being of participants,” president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland David Gilbert said in a statement. “We, along with our partners at the NFL, the Cleveland Browns and the City of Cleveland, are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all spectators and participants. We’re working tirelessly to make this the best Draft event yet — for the NFL and its fans as well as for the Cleveland community.”
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The 2020 NFL Draft was initially expected to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 23 to April 25. Las Vegas edged out bids from cities like Denver, Kansas City, Nashville, and Cleveland/Canton. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the draft will be held remotely.
In recent years, the NFL has strayed from tradition and moved the draft out of New York City, where it had been held for years.
In 2015, the NFL Draft moved to Chicago, Illinois which marked the first time since 1965 that the draft was held outside of New York City. It was held at Auditorium Theatre in Grant Part which marked the first draft to feature an outdoor component. The draft returned to Chicago in 2016 after the great reception a year prior. In 2017, the draft shifted to Philadelphia where it was held on the iconic Rocky Steps outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was the most attended draft in NFL history with more than 250,000 fans.
Then, in 2018, the draft was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and it marked more NFL first’s. It was the first time in history that the draft was held in the state of Texas, while also being the first draft to take place in an NFL stadium. The 2019 NFL Draft was held in Nashville, Tennessee.
