Fans wait outside of the draft theater ahead of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The NFL Draft in Downtown Detroit reached full capacity inside the event zone, about 90 minutes before the start of Round 1.
The NFL had been telling fans to get down early with capacity limits inside the perimeter of the Draft Theatre and Draft Experience, especially on Thursday night for the first round.
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Aerial video showed fans packed in near the draft stage area, mostly rocking Honolulu Blue.
An announcement was made around 6:30 p.m. that all entrances would be closing. The NFL said entrances would not reopen 12 p.m. on Friday.
There’s plenty to do outside the main draft stage zone, with plenty of bars and restaurants hosting draft watching parties around the city of Detroit.
Fans will have another chance to get into the main stage area on Friday and Saturday for the second and third rounds. The draft is free to attend with the NFL OnePass app.
Ken Haddad has been with Local 4/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He helps lead news coverage and content across broadcast and digital platforms. He's from the Metro Detroit area, and loves covering important news (and sports) in his hometown.