Jay Busbee Senior writerMon, April 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM UTC·9 min readIt’s a testament to the NFL Draft’s phenomenal growth that the fact the city of Pittsburgh is closing down its entire school system for the draft later this week merits only a nod of the head and a “yep, sounds about right.” Of course Pittsburgh is closing its schools! Shoot, why stop at schools? Why stop at Pittsburgh? Why not shut down the entire economy for a couple days while we wait to see where Ty Simpson ends up?
Yes, all of this pageantry for a glorified job fair is pretty absurd. But the NFL Draft demonstrates beyond any doubt how the NFL is able to command more attention than any other sport … even when there’s no actual sport to watch. NFL games are more than four months away, and yet the draft whips fans into frenzies worthy of a fourth-quarter, come-from-behind drive.
Thing is, you throw this much spectacle at the wall, and some of it’s going to splatter. Join us as we reminisce about the weirdest, wildest and most ridiculous moments of an event that’s already high on the strangeness scale. And get ready to boo…
The millions of NFL fans who have enjoyed the league’s traveling draft road show over the past decade can thank an unusual and unexpected source: the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
For half a century, the NFL Draft called New York City home, and by 2014, the NFL’s draft extravaganza was a key fixture at Radio City Music Hall. But the only organization with more juice at Radio City than the NFL was the world-famous Rockettes dance troupe, and in 2014, the Rockettes kicked — pun very much intended — the NFL out of its traditional late-April draft date into May.
That didn’t go over well with the Powers That Be in the NFL, and neither did the news later that year that the Rockettes would likely claim all of April and May at Radio City. Surely the NFL could push its draft to June …?
Nope. The NFL decided to take its show on the road, and that has made all the difference in the 10 years since. What was once a small parade of hopeful future rookies is now an extravaganza to rival the Super Bowl, traveling to cities that may not ever get the chance to host a big game of their own.
You know the 2015 draft from: Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota at the top
You know the 2016 draft from: Laremy Tunsil’s unfortunate draft-night revelations
The story: Chicago marked the point where the NFL Draft truly broke contain. No more would the draft be confined to a mere single auditorium; now everyone could get in on the fun. The NFL debuted “Draft Town,” a festival-like gathering, and “Selection Square,” where late-round draftees made their NFL debuts. Draft Town set the standard all cities would follow: a massive, free, fan-focused spectacle with games, food and, of course, merch for sale. Chicago welcomed 200,000 fans that first year.
Perhaps overcome with the joy of the moment, Washington's Danny Shelton, selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Browns, lifted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell like a toddler in 2015 and carried him around the stage.
You know the 2017 draft from: The Bears selecting Mitchell Trubisky second overall when a future three-time Super Bowl MVP named Patrick Mahomes was right there
The story: This is where the traditional “booing of the commish” elevated to the level of high art; nobody does booing quite like Philly. This is where the civic pride really kicked in; Cowboys legend Drew Pearson gleefully trolled Eagles fans through a sea of boos. This remains spectacular:
Drew Pearson overcame the boos in 2017 to announce the @DallasCowboys' 2nd round pick 😂What does he have in store for his pick announcement tonight? 🔥📺: 2023 #NFLDraft continues tonight at 7pm ET on NFLN/ESPN/ABC📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/MMO833B6zC
You know the 2018 draft from: Baker Mayfield first, Saquon Barkley second, Josh Allen seventh … Lamar Jackson 32nd
The story: Revenge is a dish best served with a Lombardi Trophy to the teeth, and that’s what Eagles kicker David Akers did in 2018 in Dallas. Akers torched the Cowboys fans with the truth:
“Hey, Dallas! The last time you were in the Super Bowl, these draft picks weren’t born!” When you’ve got kickers trolling you, it’s time for some self-reflection. To top it off, the Eagles selected … Dallas Goedert.
"Hey, Dallas! The last time you were in the Super Bowl, these draft picks weren't born!"Former @Eagles kicker David Akers did some epic trolling at the #NFLDraft. 😂 pic.twitter.com/2g6XoVczzh
You know the 2019 draft from: Oakland A’s first-round draft pick Kyler Murray going No. 1 overall to Arizona
The story: Nashville is where the NFL Draft truly became a capital-E Event. Much to the surprise of NFC East-brained league types, a city not known for its deep NFL roots embraced the league as if it were a bachelorette party. Hundreds of thousands turned out for the festivities, and the sheer scope of the celebration made it clear … the NFL Draft is now a registered league holiday: