Commissioner Roger Goodell Will Accept Hugs at the 2021 NFL Draft

Draft night in Cleveland will look slightly different than last year...

Claudette Montana Pattison | Apr 23, 2021

The 2021 NFL Draft is just six days away and this year things will look different.

If you remember back in 2020, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell opened up night one with the first virtual NFL draft, live streaming from his home. The 2020 NFL Draft was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas Nevada, but as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, the NFL had to adjust their plans.

This year things return to some form of normalcy. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, 13 draft prospects will attend the event in-person this year.

The players include QB Mac Jones [Alabama], QB Trey Lance [North Dakota State], QB Zach Wilson [BYU], WR Ja'Marr Chase [LSU], WR Devonta Smith [Alabama], WR Jaylen Waddle [Alabama], TE Kyle Pitts [Florida], OL Rashawn Slater [Northwestern], DL Christian Barmore [Alabama], Edge Gregory Rousseau [Miami], LB Micah Parsons [Penn State], CB Caleb Farley [Virginia Tech], and CB Patrick Surtain II [Alabama].

List of 13 players attending next week’s draft in Cleveland: pic.twitter.com/vrmFj6vbue
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 23, 2021

Zero prospects from USC or the Pac-12 conference are expected to attend the draft in-person this year.

Schefter also reported that "NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been vaccinated and will be allowed to hug the players who attend Thursday night’s draft."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been vaccinated and will be allowed to hug the players who attend Thursday night’s draft.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 23, 2021