The 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to be a massive event in Las Vegas, celebrating the NFL’s debut in Sin City as the Raiders begin their time in Las Vegas this fall. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was forced to be a virtual draft, and the major plans they had for Vegas were put on the shelf.
Next season, the draft goes to Cleveland and the 2023 draft is scheduled for Kansas City, but the 2022 date was open and, unsurprisingly, the NFL and Raiders made the announcement during Thursday night’s first round that Vegas will host the 2022 edition.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) April 24, 2020
It’ll be interesting to see whether they keep the same plans as they had for this year or come up with some new ideas. The red carpet was set to take place on the Bellagio fountains, with boats shuttling players on and off. The draft itself was going to happen in front of Caesars and the entire Strip was to be shut down to car traffic, allowing fans to mingle about and roam. It would’ve been quite the scene, and 2022 will bring the opportunity for the NFL world to descend on Vegas and celebrate the draft with a weekend long party that only Vegas can offer.