Cleveland Browns: How hosting a draft in NE Ohio can work

The Cleveland Browns are in the news for a good reason… to possible host an NFL draft! However, there is a catch to it, so how can NE Ohio pull it off?

On Thursday, the cities of Cleveland and Canton, Ohio via the Cleveland Browns were named a finalist on the list to host either the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft!

The nearby NE Ohio cities joined Tennessee (likely Nashville), Kansas City, MO, Denver, CO, and Las Vegas, NV as the five areas under consideration.

You may ask “why list two NE Ohio cities”? The NFL knows Cleveland and Canton are two different cities but it’s because the NFL Hall of Fame is located in Canton.

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With renovations to the hall of fame expected to end in 2020, this provides the NFL a great chance for fans in Ohio and across the country to check out the upgrades while watching the draft. It’s a win-win for the league.

The sad truth for many is that the draft is the Browns’ super bowl. That statement, joke, whatever you want to call it will end soon enough. Regardless, without the NFL HoF being in Ohio, I doubt the NFL would consider the area for an upcoming draft but I’ll take it.

It’s far from a guarantee that NE Ohio will be given a draft but it makes too much sense not to give the area knowing the renovations will be done.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say the NFL awards Ohio a draft. With that in mind, how could Cleveland and Canton pull it off?

I’ve been to the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh, PA and two different NFL drafts. I’ve seen first hand what the respective cities and leagues did to make it a success for those in attendance.

Those times were enjoyable and there’s no reason why that can’t be the case in NE Ohio. Maybe local Cleveland businesses could get involved in some way, including GV Art and Design.

Although plenty of work is involved to host a draft, just like Canton does yearly for the hall of fame game, this potential opportunity would significantly benefit the cities but in a much greater way.

Given that the draft would focus on both cities, a unique and rare game plan would be needed. There are a couple of different ways to promote the draft and here’s one that could work in both spots.

First off, all media work is done in a blocked off area near Playhouse Square. Activities prior to and during the draft all three days for fans can be done around there too.