NFL chooses Nashville over Northeast Ohio to host 2019 draft

Nashville, not Cleveland or Canton, will host the 2019 NFL draft, the league announced on May 23.

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and the Pro Football Hall of Fame put in a bid to host the draft on April 25-27, but lost out. Las Vegas and Denver were also under consideration.

“When we entered the 2019/2020 NFL Draft process, we knew all of the cities would submit competitive bids,” the Browns said in a statement. “The Titans and Nashville will represent the NFL well next year, and we are excited to continue our discussions with the league on Northeast Ohio being an exceptional site for the 2020 NFL Draft, along with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

After decades of holding the draft in New York City, it was held in Chicago in 2015 and 2016, Philadelphia in 2017 and Dallas in 2018.

“Following an exciting and successful event in Dallas, we’re thrilled to take the NFL draft to Nashville,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “The city has a passionate fan base and offers iconic locations that will enable us to expand the Draft in unique ways.

“We look forward to working with the Tennessee Titans, the City of Nashville, and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp to deliver a memorable celebration of football to our fans and incoming players.”

The 2020 draft will mark the 100-year anniversary of the NFL, which was originated in Canton, home of the Hall of Fame. That might make 2020 the perfect time to for Northeast Ohio to host the draft.

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