Just as news from the this year’s NFL draft in Green Bay starts to (finally) wind down, America’s most popular sport delivers another headline, this time looking ahead a few years.
Late Sunday evening, it was reported by multiple outlets that the 2027 NFL draft will be held in Washington, D.C. for the first time since 1941 by the Commanders– a franchise recently energized by the news that, after nearly three decades, it will finally receive a venue to replace historic RFK Stadium in Southeast D.C. The draft will be hosted on the National Mall surrounded by historical landmarks, as President Trump made the formal announcement on Monday with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders’ owner Josh Harris.
The news regarding the 2027 draft comes at a peak moment for the Commanders organization, and for Washington fans in general. The last five months have seen the franchise achieve more than it had in the last 15 years combined, winning a playoff game for the first time since 2005 and reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991, on top of making plans for a long-promised stadium deal, all of which has breathed new life into this beleaguered fanbase. Now, D.C.’s NFL franchise will have another opportunity to enjoy the spotlight in 2027.
For fans hoping to attend the draft, D.C. surely will offer plenty to see and do. Although it may be a bit early to start booking hotel rooms, those interested in heading to the nation’s capital should plan to make arrangements early and expect significant crowds virtually everywhere they go. The NFL Draft is consistently one of the most popular sporting events of the year, with 2025’s showcase in Green Bay drawing upwards of 600,000 fans over the three-day event. Detroit’s draft last year set the event’s all-time attendance record, with 750,000 fans making their way to the Motor City, however, D.C. and Commanders officials anticipate upwards of a million visitors will travel to the District for 2027’s draft, a figure which would shatter that record.
