The year the NFL draft outgrew its iconic New York home

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For nearly fifty years, Radio City Music Hall served as the stage for the NFL's most high-stakes talent auction. But by 2014, the spectacle had become too large for the venue. This draft marked a pivotal moment of transition for the league's most-watched annual event.

Between 8 May and 10 May 2014, the league conducted its 79th yearly draft. While it maintained its traditional location at Radio City Music Hall in New York City—a venue it had occupied since 1965—the event was actually pushed back from its usual late-April window due to a scheduling conflict at the hall.

The draft's massive popularity over the preceding decade led to significant internal debate regarding the venue's capacity. There were active discussions about extending the event to a four-day duration to accommodate the growing interest. Ultimately, the NFL decided that the draft had outgrown the hall, moving the 2015 event to the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

The 2014 draft was also a landmark for cultural representation. The St. Michael Sam joined the NFL via a seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams, marking the initial instance of an out gay athlete being drafted. Although he failed to secure a spot on the final squad, Sam's merchandise thrived, ranking as the NFL website's second most popular rookie jersey.

From a logistical standpoint, the draft order was determined by the previous season's records. The Houston Texans held the first pick of each round due to a 2–14 record in 2013. A coin toss, won by the Dallas Cowboys, determined the sequence because the Baltimore Ravens held the same 8–8 record and strength of schedule.

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