Denver selected as NFL Draft finalist for 2019 or 2020

A toy of the old Mile High Stadium at Bill's Sports Collectibles. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver is in the playoffs to win the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft, the Broncos announced Thursday.

The Mile High City is up against Cleveland-Canton in Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Las Vegas; and Nashville, Tennessee. The NFL is expected to announce the host cities for both of the upcoming two drafts during the Spring League Meeting scheduled for May 21-23 in Atlanta.

“It’s a competitive process, and we’re excited to move one step closer to bringing the NFL Draft to Denver," said Joe Ellis, Broncos president and CEO, in a statement.

Every finalist city except Las Vegas currently is home an NFL franchise. Canton is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And the Oakland Raiders are set to move to Sin City for the start of the 2020 season, according to the NFL.

The Broncos are working with Visit Denver and the Denver Sports Commission to bring in the annual sporting event. Officials from the organizations met with NFL officials in New York in November. “Due to the competitive nature between bidding cities,” the group declined to share their presentation.

“As one of America’s best sports cities, we are optimistic that Denver can make a great case for hosting this marquee event ... We look forward to further dialogue about the possibilities," said Matthew Payne, executive director of the Denver Sports Commission in a statement.

For 50 years, the draft was held in New York City. Then in 2015, the NFL started moving the event around, holding two seasons in Chicago and one in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that hosting the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players in 2017 had a $95 million economic impact for the City of Brotherly Love.

The 2018 NFL Draft is set for April 26-28 in Arlington, Texas, where the Dallas Cowboys play.