The third time is the charm for the city of Cleveland. After losing out to Nashville, Tennessee in 2019 and Las Vegas, Nevada in 2020, the NFL Draft is coming to Cleveland in 2021.
LET’S GOOOOOO!#NFLDraft | @TheCLE pic.twitter.com/YF2j2B0257
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 22, 2019
Official word came down from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam around 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at the NFL owners spring meeting in Key Biscayne, Florida.
“Cleveland has a passionate fan base and the city offers distinctive iconic locations and attractions that will bring the NFL Draft experience to fans in unique and exciting ways,” said Goodell. “We look forward to collaborating with the Cleveland Browns, the City of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Destination Cleveland to celebrate the achievements of the next generation of players and create a memorable fan experience.”
“We are incredibly honored to be able to showcase the City of Cleveland and the passion of Browns fans through the unique international platform the NFL Draft provides,” said Haslam. “This is an exceptional opportunity for Northeast Ohio that even extends beyond football, and we look forward to continuing the work ahead with Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the City of Cleveland, Destination Cleveland and the NFL to ensure that the 2021 NFL Draft is truly memorable for Northeast Ohio and football fans across the world.”
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Get ready Cleveland …
The @NFL Draft is coming in 2021!
Details » https://t.co/fRHclLZADz pic.twitter.com/zH1NHDlKbd
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 22, 2019
Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will not be a part of the 2021 NFL Draft. Cleveland and Canton filed a combined bid to host in 2019 and 2020. Their bid lost out to Nashville and Las Vegas. Despite the close proximity to each city, the NFL felt holding the draft in two different cities presents too much of a logistics issue. The Browns will celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2021.
As part of the event, the free NFL Draft Experience – a massive free football festival – will enable fans of all teams to participate and test their football skills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Draft Experience will be open all three days of the event.
Denver and Kansas City were also in the running. Kansas City has been awarded the 2023 NFL Draft.
Scott Piker is the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage.com. So follow him on twitter @ScottPikerSport