Earlier this week, the NFL finalized its dates for the 2027 NFL draft in Washington, D.C. With the league rotating cities to host its premier event outside the Super Bowl, when will the Los Angeles Rams and L.A. get their opportunity to host again?
The City of Los Angeles has hosted the NFL draft once, which came in 1956. And it didn’t even host the full event either, as it split time with Philadelphia. Philly hosted the first three rounds in November 1955, while L.A. held the final 27 rounds at the iconic
Ambassador Hotel. Yep, things were certainly different back then.
So, why the split? According to a Nov. 26, 1955, article from The Pittsburgh Press, the draft was moved up to “prevent any conflicts in the future signing of players, particularly as regards Canada.” Oh Canada, how dare you try to steal our football players? No poutine for you!
Anyway, those final 27 rounds produced two Hall of Famers, sadly, neither one belonging to the Rams. Quarterback Bart Starr and defensive end Willie Davis were taken by the Packers and Browns, respectively. Both players eventually became teammates in Green Bay and were essential to the Packers’ 1960s dynasty under Vince Lombardi.
In case you were wondering, the Rams had a mostly forgettable draft haul that year. Besides selecting Pro Bowler Leon Clarke and eventual NFL champions Jesse Whittenton (twice with the Packers) and John Morrow (Browns), no one stood out in L.A.
The City of Angels nearly hosted the 2015 NFL draft before the Rams’ move to the city was official. Around that time, the league decided that it needed a change because it had outgrown its space in New York City. Plus, NYC had hosted the event every year from 1965 to 2014.
The decision was narrowed between Los Angeles and Chicago, and the Windy City ultimately got the nod. However, L.A. will inevitably host the event again, as the league has expressed a willingness to rotate host cities as of late.
The nation’s capital will be the 10th different city to hold the event since Chicago hosted it back-to-back years in 2015-16. Since then, the draft was held in Philadelphia, Arlington, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit, Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Minneapolis will host the 2028 draft, but beyond that, it’s uncertain, which opens the door for Hollywood.
Again, it is only a matter of time before the City of Los Angeles hosts the NFL draft for a second time. Hosting two Super Bowls since the Rams returned to town helps L.A.’s case, as it’s proven to be more than capable of holding large-scale events. Until then, the city is in wait-and-see mode.
