It is a ubiquitous sight at the N.F.L. draft in a normal year.

One by one, after their names are called, the newly drafted players bound onto a stage and envelop N.F.L. commissioner Roger Goodell in a bear hug.

Not this year. Not only will Goodell abide by federal guidelines and remain at least six feet from players at next week’s draft, but he will be hundreds or thousands of miles away. In fact, Goodell will announce the picks from his home in the New York area, the N.F.L. said on Monday. Specifically, from his basement, according to NBC Sports.

Goodell showed off his remote conferencing skills last week on a FaceTime call with the tech influencer Ankur Jain, and even proposed a solution for the missing hugs.

“You might get a virtual hug, because I think a virtual hug would still work, right?” he said.

That is just one of a host of changes made to the draft because of the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, just about the only thing that hasn’t changed is the dates, April 23–25.

This year’s draft was supposed to take place in Las Vegas, the latest city chosen to host since the N.F.L. left Radio City Music Hall in 2015 and turned the draft into a pop-up spring football extravaganza.

Vegas is no longer a verboten word in league headquarters now that the Supreme Court has struck down a federal prohibition on sports betting and the Raiders have found a soft landing there after fleeing Oakland. The 2020 N.F.L. draft was going to be a party attended by hundreds of thousands, put on in the understated style Las Vegas is known for.

Drafted players were to be ferried by a boat — a gondola — like Roman gladiators to a stage that would have been built over the spectacular fountain in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

Instead, the draft picks’ reactions will be filmed in their homes, sectional sofas and all. The league has invited 58 prospects to be part of a “virtual green room” and is reportedly outfitting each with a camera to join the remote broadcast. Players have been advised to maintain quarantine guidelines and not invite anyone into their homes who has not already been in contact with the people there.

Tristan Wirfs, an offensive tackle from Iowa expected to be drafted in the top 10, said he would probably spend the day at his mom’s house in his hometown, Mount Vernon, Iowa. “If this whole virus thing wasn’t going on and I were to stay in Mount Vernon,” he said, “I’d say damn near the whole town might be there.” Instead, he said his aunts, uncle, grandmother, girlfriend, sister and two cousins would be over. “That might be it.”

Derrick Brown, another potential first-round pick, said being drafted would still be special because he can be with his family. But the Auburn defensive tackle was clear about one regret — missing out on the Bellagio fountain boats.

“Not going to lie,” he said. “I thought that was going to be pretty sweet.”

The draft telecast will originate from Bristol, Conn., the home of ESPN, with a limited number of commentators physically in the studio. Trey Wingo, who has helmed ESPN’s draft coverage since Chris Berman stepped down in 2017, will host from the studio, but draft regulars like Mel Kiper Jr. and Chris Mortensen will appear remotely from their homes.

ESPN reporters will be “embedded” with teams, but instead of doing the usual stand-up shots outside team facilities, they will be standing in their spare bedrooms.

The NFL Network will simulcast ESPN’s production instead of televising a separate draft show. Rich Eisen and other NFL Network analysts will appear on this hybrid telecast. And for the second year in a row ABC will have its own draft telecast, aimed at more casual football fans — “ABC will focus on storytelling and the journey draft prospects and their families have taken to get to the N.F.L.” in the words of the news release. The show will be hosted by Rece Davis.

Since shortly after the N.F.L. draft combine in February, teams have been conducting draft preparations remotely, with some pro days canceled and in-person interviews banned. Some teams, like the Giants, have been interviewing prospects over FaceTime or Skype.

“We’re losing the personal touch points,” said Dave Gettleman, the Giants general manager. “We have the visual touch point, but we’re really missing out on the personal touch point, when you can smell or feel a guy.” As a self-described “old man,” Gettleman, 69, said it was exciting working with the “young guys” on his staff who were thoughtful about using technology.

Kevin Abrams, the Giants assistant general manager, said meetings conducted over the internet haven’t been “perfectly smooth, but it’s been smoother than anyone could have expected.” He will be less excited if things go wrong on draft day and as a result the Giants, who select fourth over all, can’t nab the player they want or complete an advantageous trade.

Over 11 million viewers watched the opening round of the draft last year. With nearly the entire country living under stay-at-home orders and sports fans starved for something, anything, new and consequential, most are predicting the draft will draw record viewership.

Those tuning in will see an N.F.L. draft like no other, a draft shot on low-quality cameras in homes, full of static camera shots and more likely to encounter technical glitches. But perhaps this will also be an N.F.L. draft that feels more organic than the over-the-top, slickly produced extravaganza it has become.

And an unexpected upside to an N.F.L. draft conducted remotely? One notable N.F.L. draft tradition — vociferous booing the first time Goodell walks onto the stage — will be absent.

Unless his wife, children or pets are feeling particularly vicious.

Ben Shpigel contributed reporting.