2025 NFL draft: How host cities have fared afterward
The NFL draft, in thetenth year of its tour across the nation since leaving its longtime home of New York, made its 2025 stop in Green Bay.
The draft was held in cities such as Philadelphia and Chicago dating back to 1936, but the Big Apple became its home for 50 years in 1965. As the years went by and the draft began to expand, it evolved from one day to two in 1988 before eventually becoming a three-day event in 2010. The expanded event grew out of the New York City site in 2015 in an effort to engage with more fans nationwide.
In 2023, the NFL announced that the draft would land in Green Bay over Washington D.C. The Green Bay Packers have been on the upswing since then, going 9-8 in 2023 and 11-6 in 2024, their first two seasons without Aaron Rodgers.
Here is a look at other NFL draft hosts and how they have fared the following season.
Detroit, 2024
The Detroit Lions have become a powerhouse in the NFC North, going 15-2 in their first year after hosting the draft. Detroit put up 564 points to lead the league in the 2024-25 season, a full 39 points ahead of the Buffalo Bills.
Sadly, the Lions couldn't translate their regular season dominance into playoff success. They scored 31 points against the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, but their No. 7-ranked defense failed them. Washington scored 45 points, with Jayden Daniels throwing for two touchdowns, Brian Robinson Jr. rushing for two and Quan Martin scoring another on an interception return.
Kansas City, 2023
Wide receiverKadarius Toney couldn't grasp multiple dimes from Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs began their season on a down note by dropping their opener to the Lions. Travis Kelce stepped up in the receiving room to lead the team to a six-game winning streak, but offensive struggles triggered Kansas City midway through the regular season.
The Chiefs still made an appearance in the postseason in freezing cold temperatures, and their journey to the Super Bowl looked like a breeze.
The Super Bowl appeared to be going the 49ers' way, but San Francisco's 10-3 halftime lead morphed into an overtime thriller. In the extra period, Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman for a walk-off touchdown and back-to-back Kansas City Super Bowl victories.
Philadelphia, 2017
The Philadelphia Eagles made franchise history in the 2017 season, winning their first Super Bowl.
After the Eagles finished the 2016 season 7-9, Doug Pederson changed the offensive game plan to let their string of quarterbacks maximize their potential. Philadelphia got off to a 10-1 start before losing to the Seattle Seahawks asRussell Wilson had three passing touchdowns.
The Eagles completed the season with a franchise-record 13 wins. Quarterback Carson Wentzthrew for 3,296 yards before suffering a season-ending torn ACL, leading Nick Foles to anchor Philadelphia in its Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Nashville, 2019
The Tennessee Titans hadn't been to an AFC Championship Game since 2002, but 2019 was a turnaround after missing the 2018 playoffs. The Titans drafted wide receiver A.J. Brown in 2019 as the No. 51 overall pick. He made an immediate impact by leading Tennessee with 1,051 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
AndDerrick Henry was unstoppable during the Titans' playoff run, leading them to the AFC Championship Game, but they failed to get past Kansas City for a Super Bowl berth.
Arlington (Dallas), 2018
The Dallas Cowboys hadn't had a playoff victory since 2015. Though their season had a rocky start defensively, the offense sparked a five-game winning streak. Dak Prescott's 80% rate completion in Week 16 helped the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers 27-20, clinching the NFC East Division title before losing to the Los Angeles Ramsin the postseason.
Las Vegas, 2022
The Raiders began their season 2-7. Though Las Vegas running backJosh Jacobs led the league in rushing yards that season with 1,653, it didn't add enough momentum to help the Raiders do a 180 from the rough start. Las Vegas finished with a 6-11 record, missing the playoffs.
The following season, the Raiders got off to a 3-5 start under Josh McDaniel, which led to a coaching change. Las Vegas appointed Antonio Pierce as interim head coach, immediately boosting locker room morale.
Cleveland, 2021
The Cleveland Browns had earned their first playoff berth since 2002 in the 2020 season. Though Cleveland lost to the Chiefs in the divisional round, the Browns were expected to carry their momentum over into the 2021 season and be Super Bowl contenders.
