The Cincinnati Bengals may be hosting the NFL Draft in the near future.

Sports Business Journal’s Ben Fischer reports Cincinnati has the “inside track” to host the 2029 NFL Draft.

Minnesota is expected to be tabbed the 2028 host, but neither city has officially been named for either year.

Also, sources said, it’s possible the NFL looks to award two drafts at the same time, or in relatively short order. If that happens, some sources said Cincinnati has the inside track for 2029, but there is less clarity around whether the NFL is prepared to do that now. Commissioner Roger Goodell told Pat McAfee last week “we’re going to probably have to start allocating the drafts a little further in advance” due to the event’s size. Nothing is final, sources cautioned, and the Minnesota selection could still change in the weeks before a vote.

Bengals on track to becoming first-time draft hosts

The draft was first held in 1936 and has been hosted in 14 cities across the country. New York has held the most and was the location for 50 consecutive drafts from 1965-2014. The event has jumped around to other cities since 2015 including Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, and most recently last week, Pittsburgh. Next year’s draft will be in Washington D.C.

Cincinnati has never hosted a draft, but representatives of the Bengals were in Pittsburgh to gain intel on how to host a draft of their own in the near future.

Ten teams had representatives at last weekend’s Draft in Pittsburgh to learn and develop their own hopes of hosting, [commissioner Roger] Goodell said. The only future draft with an identified host is 2027, when the Commanders and D.C., will host on the National Mall. Along with Washington, Minneapolis and Cincinnati, seven other cities participated in that meeting Goodell referenced: Baltimore, Buffalo, Charlotte, Houston, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Seattle. However, neither Charlotte nor Jacksonville could host in 2028 due to major renovation projects at their respective stadiums.

Cincy was already in the mix, and now it sounds like the league is leaning toward the Queen City.

Where in Cincinnati would the draft be located?

This will most likely be the biggest question for the NFL to tackle. There isn’t much space next to Paycor Stadium for the draft’s gigantic half dome and stage where all the on-site action is centered around. The closer to the stadium, the more the league can utilize it for fan engagement and such.

There are other spots near and around downtown Cincy to highlight, such as the famous Union Terminal or Cincinnati Music Hall next to Washington Park. It’s simply about how the Bengals and everyone involved will want to utilize the space available.

If there’s clarity on the logistics and location, Cincinnati makes a ton of sense as a host city. Hosting a Super Bowl is a pipe dream considering the climate of Ohio in February and the stadium being open to the elements, so the draft is the next-best opportunity for the Bengals to become the center of the league for a week.