The league announced on Monday that while player selections will proceed as planned for the 2020 NFL Draft from April 23-25, all public events in Las Vegas are canceled. It comes after a wave of public event cancelations amid concerns for the spread of COVID-19 and a recommendation by the Center for Disease Control.
The league is currently working with the individual clubs to determine how exactly the selection process will proceed. It will still be televised according to the NFL and more information will be provided once it becomes available.
"This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens," said Commissioner Goodell. "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."
This was the first year the NFL Draft was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, which is now home to the Las Vegas Raiders as of the 2020 season. The league made the decision to cancel the public event in cooperation with public authorities from the city and the state of Nevada.
The Buccaneers hold the 14th overall pick in the first round and have seven total picks in the 2020 NFL Draft after being awarded a compensatory fourth-round pick last week. The draft order and process will remain unchanged.