The 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to the coming out party for the Las Vegas Raiders but, after the coronavirus shutdown and the pandemic forcing the draft to go digital, the league had to pull out of Las Vegas. The NFL has righted the wrong, announcing the 2022 NFL Draft will be held in Las Vegas.
Word leaked out early in the draft as Las Vegas Review-Journal scribe Mick Akers learned it's a 100% certainty. The "how and when" of the announcement regarding the 2022 NFL Draft are still up in the air, but many believe it will be announced during the Raiders' first of two first round picks during the draft.
While the logistics are up in the air, there's no doubt Las Vegas was ready to host more than 400,000 NFL fans during the exciting draft weekend. Much of the infrastructure is already in place for the event. While it made more sense to simply push the 2021 draft slated for Cleveland, the league has decided to keep Cleveland for 2021 and give Vegas the draft in two years for the 2020 NFL Draft. The decision is a little disappointing but Las Vegas has a long way to go outside of the NFL Draft to get back online and ready to welcome the world's tourists.
Stay tuned to Sin City Sports Mockery on Twitter at @SinCitySM or on Facebook for more details as they emerge. By 2022, the Las Vegas Raiders could be a Super Bowl winner or entering their Super Bowl window after two seasons in Vegas. “The Raiders are thrilled to join the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the resort corridor, and the local community in welcoming fans to Las Vegas for the 2020 NFL Draft,” Raiders president Marc Badain said in a press release when the 2020 draft was announced in Vegas. “Just as the NFL journey begins on draft weekend for many young players, the Silver and Black’s journey in the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World is also just beginning. "There is no better place to showcase this special event than on the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, and fans will be treated to a truly unique experience in an iconic location.”
