The NFL Draft has been hosted in Radio City Music Hall, the streets of Chicago, and on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2018, the NFL Draft is heading to the biggest stage in the football world: AT&T Stadium.
The home of the Dallas Cowboys has reportedly been chosen to be the next location for the NFL Draft in the spring of 2018. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the news via Twitter.
Source: There is a decision on the 2018 @NFL Draft site — it’s Dallas, I’m told. AT&T Stadium will host it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2017
Dallas, or Arlington to be specific, had been considered to be a leading candidate to host the NFL Draft as the discussions continued on figuring out where the next draft would be held. But much of the focus about the Cowboys being the host seemed to be locked on The Star, the Cowboys’ brand new state-of-the-art practice facility in Frisco, Texas.
Philadelphia, following a successful NFL Draft in 2017, was also in consideration along with Kansas City and Green Bay to various degrees. Despite having the lavish new practice facility, travel concerns for all parties involved, including fans, likely steered the direction toward the actual stadium.
As massive and expansive a fan experience as Philadelphia is, having the 2018 Draft at AT&T Stadium may be bigger, with Jerry Jones as host
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2017
This could be quite something with the scale of AT&T Stadium, a venue that has hosted the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff national championship game, WrestleMania, and an NBA All-Star Game. A grand stage can certainly be put together, but the atmosphere for the draft may get lost in the stadium. But at least there will be plenty of parking, and the screen will be big enough for everyone to see what’s happening.
No matter how lavish the 2018 NFL Draft will be, a certain flavor will likely be lost compared to the event in Philadelphia, which was easily accessible by fans of the Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, New York Jets, and Washington Redskins. AT&T Stadium may be a bit more of a travel obstacle for the groups of fans that typically attend the NFL Draft, but Jerry Jones will likely bask in the glory of the heavily-dominated Cowboys crowd in his stadium.