NFL Announces 2017 Draft To Be Held In Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBSNewYork/AP) — The NFL has officially announced that Philadelphia will host the 2017 draft.
Senior vice president Peter O'Reilly said it will represent a return to the birthplace of the draft. The first NFL draft was held in Philadelphia in 1936, when the Eagles selected Jay Berwanger first overall.
The draft was held in New York for decades before being moved in 2015 to Chicago, where it was also held this year. It was last held in Philly in 1960.
Philadelphia beat out several other locations.
The draft will be held April 27-29 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near where Pope Francis celebrated Mass in a visit to the city last fall. After being drafted, players will walk up the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, best known from the movie "Rocky."
The first three rounds are held in prime time. The hometown Eagles won't have a pick, however, in the first round.
According to NFL.com, several other cities are already vying to host future drafts, including Dallas; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Detroit; Denver; Los Angeles; Jacksonville, Florida; Canton, Ohio; Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
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