Whether you missed the draft, chose not to watch it, or are devastated you couldn’t find parking and see it for yourself in Detroit, it’s my job to fill you in on what you could’ve missed and why this is monumental for Detroit.
You would have thought Detroit won the Super Bowl on April 25, as crowds filling the streets stretched from Campus Martius to Hart Plaza, to additional events in Beacon Park, Capitol Park, Grand Circus Park, Harmonie Park, and Woodward Avenue. According to the NFL’s Instagram, Detroit was filled with a record-breaking attendance of more than 275,000 fans for the first day of the 2024 NFL Draft. Detroit even set the all-time NFL Draft Attendance record with over 700,000 attendees. Without a doubt, the Motor City was electric, filled with not just Lions fans but many fanbases from across the country. But why are people traveling to Detroit to watch a dragged-out three-hour show with only 32 picks revealed?
Aside from the record-breaking attendance in Detroit and the electricity of the Detroit Lions pride, several other draft elements contributed to the “wow factor.” The first round of the draft was dominated by offensive players, delivering a fifteenth-round wait for a defensive player to be selected. At the fifteenth pick, defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, UCLA’s first-ever winner of the Lombardi Award, Ten Hendricks Award and Polynesian Defensive Player of the Year Award, was selected by the Colts. Shocking beyond the 275,000+ attendees, the dominant run of 14 straight offensive players to open a draft broke yet another record. This 14 straight offensive player run was the longest in NFL history.
At this point, don’t be surprised when I tell you about another possible record break. The first round as previously mentioned was dominated by offensive players, but shockingly quarterbacks. In the first round, within the first 12 picks, Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), and Bo Nix (Oregon) were selected. With six quarterbacks being selected in the first round, it exceeded any round since 1967.
Of course, I simply can’t end a draft debrief without acknowledging the Lions. With initially the 29th pick in the draft, the Detroit Lions traded with Dallas moving up from the 29th spot and their Round three selection, 73 overall, for the 24th pick and, reportedly, a seventh-round pick in 2025. With the 24th selection in the draft, the Lions selected cornerback Terrion Arnold from Alabama. Being fluid, agile, and having excellent coverage and ball skills, five interceptions and 17 pass breakups just in 2023, Arnold could potentially challenge for a starting role in the Lion’s defense. Excelling in both coverage and run support, he is a key and impactful player all over the field.
Outside of the lively culture and atmosphere of Detroit, Draft Day in the D truly was set off with both a memorable and historic start. When the NFL Draft makes its way back to Detroit, whether you are the biggest football fanatic or a fair-weathered fan, this is an event you don’t want to miss. The future of the NFL looks to be a promising and fun season to watch.
