NFL Draft branding unveiled in Pittsburgh

Framed by the city’s skyline Friday afternoon, the 2026 Draft Local Organizing Committee revealed the official branding and visual identity for the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

The branding’s color palette — a brick red, navy blue, gold, sky blue, teal, bright pink and yellow — is drawn from a mural located in the Strip District and the spirit of hometown artist Andy Warhol.

“It’s bold, it’s bright and it’s unapologetically Pittsburgh,” said Jerad Bachar, CEO of local tourism agency Visit Pittsburgh.

The April draft, expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people, was designed with a fresh aesthetic vision of Pittsburgh in mind — one inspired by more than just the city’s iconic black and gold.

Patrick Fisher, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, said the branding was designed to get everyone to look at Pittsburgh with fresh eyes.

“It invites everyone … to look beyond our bridges and our skyline, and discover the pulse of creativity that runs through all 90 of our neighborhoods and well beyond city limits,” he said. “It can also cast a new light on the creative energy that defines who we are as a city in this present moment, and that, to me, is a Pittsburgh at its best, rooted in tradition, yet unafraid to evolve.”

While the logo itself will remain true to the NFL’s traditional draft logo, it will be featured on multiple color combinations from the palette and the city’s essence will be incorporated in all the brand’s supporting elements.

“The textures, the layered composition, even the text blocking — these elements pay quiet homage to Warhol’s pop art legacy,” Fisher said. “If you look closely, you’ll notice details that mimic the squeegee or the sweep of a squeegee.”

The brand will also feature a nod to Pittsburgh’s industrial roots with bold lines and designs inspired by the city’s bridges. The branding also includes the taglines of “The Pick Is In” and “Greatness Is on the Clock.”

The draft, to be held April 23-25, is expected to be one of the largest events Pittsburgh has ever hosted and will stretch from the North Shore across the Allegheny River to Point State Park.

On Friday, Ryan Huzjak, senior vice president of business operations for the Steelers, said the draft is expected to reach over 50 million people on television.

While no one from the NFL was present at the unveiling, Chris Stackhouse, vice president and head of global brand experience at the NFL, said in a statement on the Steelers website, “Our creative is always meant to not only celebrate our prospects’ incredible journeys and futures but also spotlight the host city as a unique destination.”