5 cities that should host future NFL Drafts
#2 Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is another town that loves its sports teams. Johnny Unitas is still highly revered in Baltimore. Plus, it has had historic ties to the NFL since 1953. The Colts entered the NFL in 1953 and won back-to-back NFL championships in 1958-1959 in the pre-merger between the AFL and NFL. Then they won their first Superbowl in 1970. After that victory, they only managed to make the playoffs four times and, between 1978-1982, became the laughingstock of the NFL, only winning 27 games from 1978-1983. Then literally under cover of darkness, they relocated to Indianapolis, to the chagrin of Baltimore fans.
Despite the relocation of the Colts, it only took 13 years for football to come back to Baltimore. In 1995 Art Modell decided to relocate the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. The decision was highly unpopular not only with Cleveland but the NFL. The move was so contentious within the NFL Modell had to work out an agreement with the NFL. He allowed Cleveland to keep the Browns name and claim to the history of the original Cleveland franchise while reorganizing his franchise into a new team. Hence they became the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens stayed in the AFC Central with the Steelers, Bengals, Oilers, and Jacksonville. In 1999 the NFL brought back the Browns, and from 1999-2001 the AFC Central had six teams until the NFL expanded further, realigned the entire league, and created the AFC North, reducing it to four teams. The creation had one fringe benefit for the NFL. Pittsburgh never had much of an intense rivalry with the Baltimore Colts. When the Ravens came to Baltimore, that changed, and it can be argued became more intense than the old Pittsburgh-Cleveland rivalry. Why? Many Pittsburgh fans still regard the Ravens as old Cleveland.
Given their role in NFL history and rivalry with the Steelers, allowing another AFC North team to host a modern NFL draft only makes sense, especially if you have a love for crab cakes. If fans, players, and agents attending the draft in Kansas City will put away the barbecue. Everyone will get to enjoy great seafood in Baltimore. The fans in Baltimore love their football; thus, they should be rewarded with an NFL draft.