Philadelphia hasn't hosted the NFL Draft since 1961, which ended a 13-year run for the draft in that city. New York took over the event on a permanent basis for 50 years shortly thereafter, from 1965-2014, before the event started to rotate. It's back in Philadelphia this year, for the first time in 56 years.
Philadelphia's beloved Eagles have never won a Super Bowl. Their last NFL title came in 1960, the year before that final draft before this one.
The confluence of a fan base known for being salty after enduring 50+ years of frustration and the hosting of the 2017 draft should make for an interesting three days in the City of Brotherly Love.
With the start of the draft still several hours away, in fact, the festivities are already heating up. And it appears the Vikings might take the brunt of the trolling from Eagles fans Thursday night.
Minnesota, of course, does not have a first-round pick this year after dealing that choice to the Eagles late in the preseason a year ago in exchange for quarterback Sam Bradford. The Vikings got off to a 5-0 start and it seemed for a while like the pick they dealt would be a low first-rounder. Instead, Minnesota finished 8-8 — a slide that started, remember, with a loss to the Eagles — and Philly ended up with the No. 14 pick via the Vikings.
The Eagles had already dealt their 2017 first-round pick to the Browns in the deal for QB Carson Wentz (a pick that ended up being No. 12 overall), so this draft could have unfolded without the host city's team having a first-round pick.
Instead? Eagles fans are giddy. SB Nation's Bleeding Green Nation blog explains:
So here's a toast to Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles for trading Sam Bradford — Sam Bradford! — for a first round pick. It's still so hard to believe they pulled that deal off. … Because without the Bradford trade, this night would have been a lot less exciting than it projects to be.
