NFL Draft In Detroit Sets Day 1 Attendance Record: Officials

DETROIT — NFL fans who packed downtown Detroit on Thursday night set an attendance record for round one of the NFL Draft with more than 275,000 spectators, according to officials.

Officials said the draft reached maximum capacity roughly 90 minutes before the 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 overall three-day attendance record of 600,000 that was set in 2019 in Nashville. The previous day one attendance was roughly 200,000 people, also set in 2019 in Nashville.

The Detroit Lions traded up five spots with the Dallas Cowboys to pick cornerback Terrion Arnold from the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round.

A record six quarterbacks were picked 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, which is being held in downtown areas around Campus Martius and Hart Plaza, continues with rounds 2 and 3 Friday evening. The rest of the draft will finish up Saturday.