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NFL says no fans at draft in Las Vegas, but picks will happen on schedule

The NFL announced on Monday that its draft will be held as scheduled April 23-25. But the league cancelled all public draft events in Las Vegas, where the draft was supposed to be held.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) will be keeping his distance from first-round picks next month when the league holds its draft in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) will be keeping his distance from first-round picks next month when the league holds its draft in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.Read moreMark Humphrey / AP

NFL officials aren’t going to let something like a pandemic stop them.

On Sunday, the league announced that the free-agency signing period will commence as scheduled on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The NFL followed that up on Monday with another announcement that next month’s draft also will proceed on April 23-25, though with some major modifications.

The draft was supposed to be held in Las Vegas in front of thousands of fans. In a statement Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that all public draft events in Vegas have been canceled. He said the league is exploring "innovative options'' for how the process will work this year in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, but it won’t be held in front of a crowd.

“This decision reflects our foremost priority -- the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Goodell said.

Goodell said the gambling capital of the world will get serious consideration for a future draft, as well as a Super Bowl.