Minnesota to host 2028 NFL Draft

The draft will be held in downtown Minneapolis, in partnership with the Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events (MNSE), and there will be activations anchored around U.S. Bank Stadium. “For three days, Minnesota will become the center of the football world,” Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf said.

“The 2028 NFL Draft will give us an opportunity to showcase not just U.S. Bank Stadium, but the energy, hospitality, and pride that define Minneapolis-St. Paul and the entire state and region. We have no doubt the community will deliver a world-class event that is unique to Minnesota.”

Minnesota hosting the 2028 NFL Draft is ‘an extraordinary moment’

The NFL Draft has traveled to different cities since 2015. Most recently, the 2026 draft was held in Pittsburgh, and the event set an all-time attendance record with 805,000 fans in three days.

“This is an extraordinary moment for Minnesota and a testament to what can happen when organizations, partners, and community leaders come together behind a shared vision,” Wendy Williams Blackshaw, president and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events, said. “The NFL Draft is one of the biggest and most impactful events in sports, and we are incredibly honored the NFL has entrusted Minnesota with this opportunity. 

Before 2015, the NFL Draft was held in New York City from 1965 to 2014. The event was held in Chicago in 2015 and 2016, and then moved to Philadelphia (2017), Dallas (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), Kansas City (2023), Detroit (2024), and Green Bay (2025). In 2027, the draft will be held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.