NFL Draft to go on as scheduled, but it won't take place in Las Vegas
The NFL Draft won’t be postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, but it won’t be held in Las Vegas, either.
The league announced Monday that after conferring with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it will “modify” its plans for the draft, which will be held April 23-25. The event was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, the relocated home of the former Oakland Raiders, for the first time.
In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is “exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted.”
“This decision reflects our foremost priority — the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Goodell said. “While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl.”
The Steelers do no hold a first-round pick. Barring a trade, their first selection will occur on the second day with the No. 49 overall selection.
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.