NFL fans who packed downtown Detroit Thursday night set an attendance record for the first round of the NFL draft with more than 275,000 spectators, according to officials.
Officials said the draw reached maximum capacity about 90 minutes before first pick and began turning people away from the gates.
Officials believe more than 400,000 people visited downtown Detroit on Thursday.Officials believe this year’s NFL Draft in Detroit is on pace to break the three-day overall attendance record of 600,000 set in 2019 in Nashville. Attendance the day before was around 200,000 people, which was also set in 2019 in Nashville.
The Detroit Lions traded five spots with the Dallas Cowboys to select cornerback Tyrion Arnold from the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round.Six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks of the draft, including former Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who went No. 10 to the Minnesota Vikings.
The NFL Draft, held in the downtown areas around Campus Martius and Hart Plaza, continues with the second and third rounds Friday night. The rest of the draft will be completed on Saturday.
