Report: NFL will announce Philadelphia as host of 2017 draft

The NFL is prepared to announce that Philadelphia will host the 2017 draft, NJ.com reports.

The NFL is expected to announce that the city of Philadelphia will host the 2017 draft, NJ.com’s Matt Lombardo reports.

In April, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Philly was the “leading candidate” to host next year’s draft.

Earlier this month, Pennsylvania congressman Bob Brady said that the mayor of Philadelphia told him the city had agreed to host the event. However, a spokeswoman for the mayor denied that the city had been awarded the draft.

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Brady said the city will build a temporary stage and seating area on the Ben Franklin Parkway in downtown Philadelphia for the draft.

The draft was held in New York for 57 consecutive years until 2015 when the event moved to Chicago. The Rams’ new stadium outside of Los Angeles is expected to be a candidate to host future drafts. 

The Eagles do not have a first-round pick in 2017.