The high-profile, annual selection of pro football’s incoming players will be held on the National Mall.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump announced on May 5 that the NFL Draft will be held in the nation’s capital in 2027 on the National Mall.
“Every year, hundreds of young football players have their dreams come true, as the NFL teams across the land—and you just saw that last week—select the best young players in America to join their ranks,” said Trump in the Oval Office.
He was joined by Josh Harris, managing partner of the Washington Commanders, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“Hundreds of thousands of football fans will travel all across our country to cheer them on in person,” Trump said. “The draft is a celebration of one of our country’s most cherished cultural institutions, and the annual highlight for football fans everywhere.”
The 2025 NFL Draft was held from April 24 to 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and will be in Pittsburgh next year.
The NFL Draft, said Goodell, “can have a tremendous impact on this community.”
“And it will not just be an event,” he said. “It will be something that will show the world how far the nation’s capital has come and where it’s going.”
The NFL Draft is one of the most-hyped sports events of the year as teams look to improve by selecting college players and making trades that sometimes can shock the league and fans.
It’s marked by prospects dressing fancy, including bling. The top prospects have the privilege of being backstage and therefore getting to be on stage when their name gets called.
The 2027 draft is expected to include University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning; University of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway; Ohio State University wide receiver Jeremiah Smith; University of Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons; University of Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams; University of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola; and University of Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton.
Trump’s announcement comes a week after the Commanders announced an agreement with the District of Columbia to build a stadium campus at the site of the defunct Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. The 65,000-seat venue is scheduled to open in 2030, though the city council will need to approve the project.
“The new stadium deal is a HUGE WIN for Washington, D.C., and for the team’s incredible fan base. It will also boost economic development, create more jobs and, hopefully, lead to less crime in the area,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.