WASHINGTON ― The 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington D.C. on the National Mall, President Donald Trump announced Monday from the Oval Office, predicting it will be a draft like no other.
Trump revealed the news alongside NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“It’s going to be beautiful. It’s going to be something that nobody else will ever be able to duplicate,” Trump said.
The 2027 draft announcement comes one week after the Commanders revealed intentions to build a new stadium on the old RFK stadium site. Plans for the 65,000-seat venue still requires the approval of the District of Columbia city council.
“It will not just be an event, it will be something that will show the world how far the nation’s capital has come and where it’s going,” Goodell said.
Since returning to the White House for a second term, Trump has made reducing crime and homelessness in Washington a focus of his administration to showcase the nation’s capital.
The National Mall, which can hold more than 1 million people, is flanked by the the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol, creating opportunities for dramatic visuals behind the draft stage.
“Everyone in the world is going to be watching,” Trump said. “We look forward to welcoming people from across the nation, from all over the world.”
After the 2025 NFL Draft was held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the 2026 event is slated to be held in Pittsburgh. More than 600,000 fans attended the draft in Green Bay, which was held over the course of three days on April 24-26.
“Bringing this event to the nation’s capital will help us fill hotel rooms, our restaurants, and Americans from all 50 states will come to their nation’s capital and enjoy our beautiful city and museums,” Bowser said.
Hosting the NFL draft continues the Commanders’ momentum after Harris bought the team in 2023 from longtime owner Daniel Snyder. Washington made the NFC Championship game last year, appears to have found its franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels and secured a long-coveted stadium deal to return the team from Maryland to the District of Columbia.
Harris handed a personalized No. 47 Commanders jersey to Trump, who commended the owner for completing a “good draft” last week and praised the team’s “great quarterback.”
“What a great day for Washington to host the NFL draft in 2027 on the mall,” Harris said. “I believe we’ll get over a million people, and it’s going to be an amazing day. And it’ll showcase what Washington’s all about. But it will also showcase what our country’s all about.”
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2027 NFL Draft to be held in Washington DC, President Trump announces
