Overview
- Multiple reports Friday said Minneapolis–St. Paul is the clear favorite for the 2028 NFL Draft, with Cincinnati holding the inside track for 2029 if owners award two sites at once.
- The NFL events committee meets next week to review bids, and club owners are slated to vote on host cities at the May 19-20 meetings in Orlando.
- League officials stressed that no selections are final and that the lineup could change before the owners vote.
- Roger Goodell said the league plans to award drafts further in advance because staging the event now requires large hotel capacity and sprawling fan zones.
- Minnesota’s bid centers on U.S. Bank Stadium with supporting events in St. Paul, the Mall of America and Viking Lakes, reflecting the festival scale that drew about 805,000 fans in Pittsburgh this year.