NFL Draft Locations: History and 2025, 2026 locations

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The inaugural NFL Draft was held in 1936 in Philadelphia, and involved no formal scouting departments, no agents, no 24-hour media coverage. In 1980, the NFL Draft was televised for the first time from New York City. Now, the NFL Draft is a three-day event with 24/7 media coverage and attracts millions of fans, both in person and online. Each year, the NFL Draft is set to take place in a new city.

Where will the 2025 NFL draft be held?

The 2025 NFL draft is set to be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It will take place inside and around Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, from April 24-26. 

The location of the 2025 NFL draft was decided in November 2023.

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Where will the 2026 NFL draft be held?

The 2026 NFL draft is set to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It will take place around Point State Park as well as Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How does the NFL decide where the draft will be?

From 1965-2014, the NFL Draft was held in New York City. However, in 2015, Chicago became the second city to host it in over half a decade. Since then, the NFL draft has been held in seven different cities, with Green Bay being the eighth. 

The process of selecting a host city for the draft involves various cities submitting bits, which are reviewed and voted on by the 32 NFL owners. 

NFL Draft Locations

The draft has been or will be held in these cities:

  • 2026: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 2025: Green Bay, WI
  • 2024: Detroit, MI
  • 2023: Kansas City, MO
  • 2022: Las Vegas, NV
  • 2021: Cleveland, OH
  • 2020: Virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2019: Nashville, TN
  • 2018: Arlington, TX
  • 2017: Philadelphia, PA
  • 2016: Chicago, IL
  • 2015: Chicago, IL
  • 1965-2014: New York City, NY
  • 1962-1964: Chicago, IL
  • 1956-1961: Philadelphia, PA
  • 1955: New York City, NY
  • 1953-1954: Philadelphia, PA
  • 1952: New York City, NY
  • 1951: Chicago, IL
  • 1949-1950: Philadelphia, PA
  • 1948: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1945-1947: New York City, NY
  • 1944: Philadelphia, PA
  • 1942-1943: Chicago, IL
  • 1941: Washington, DC
  • 1940: Milwaukee, WI
  • 1939: New York City, NY
  • 1938: Chicago, IL
  • 1937: New York City, NY
  • 1936: Philadelphia, PA