Trading up 5 spots to get a star addition like Terrion Arnold, the NFL Draft, and the Detroit Lions lived up to the hype on Day 1. But while Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Marvin Harrison Jr are showing off their fits, there is no more room for people to enter Campus Martius Park to check them out. According to reports more than 275,000 fans attended Day 1 of the Draft making it a record-breaking event. Not only this, but big-time Detroit Lions fan Eminem got the opportunity to kick off the event.

The rapper walked onto the stage with his hit “Not Afraid” playing in the background. Detroit legends and current players were also bought out including Aiden Hutchinson, Barry Sanders, and Calvin Johnson. However, a lot of fans would have missed out on the experience as the entrances had to be closed hours before the draft even began, due to the venue reaching its full capacity.

The Detroit Times shared a post on X captioned “Only in the Motor City.” It reported that “The NFL Draft has reached maximum capacity for Thursday. There will be no more general admission entry to the event today. The event opens at 12PM tomorrow.”  

Officials initially expected that there would be 300,000 to 400,000 in attendance throughout the entire weekend. But after a crowd of close to 300,000 showed up on the first day alone NFL officials had to halt general admission. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thanked the Detroit crowd at the end of the round and said, “Thank you, Detroit, for a record-setting night.” 

Previously, the attendance record on Draft Day 1 was held by Nashville in 2019 when 200,000 people showed up in Lower Broadway. That weekend also saw a record crowd of 600,000 attend the draft, but with Detroit’s strong opening day, that number could also be under threat.

To put into perspective the massive gathering in Detroit, the Day 1 crowd nearly surpassed the attendance of the entire 2023 draft, as an estimated 312,000 fans were present in Kansas City. Luckily, the large gathering isn’t the only historic thing happening at the drafts.

Caleb Williams and the Bears make history!

It’s official! The Chicago Bears chose Caleb Williams as their No. 1 pick, making Williams the third player in the Chicago Bears’ history to be drafted at the first overall position. The first time it happened was in 1941 when the team chose Tom Harmon, and again in 1947, when they chose Bob Fenimore.

Caleb Williams was pretty hyped when he stepped on the stage and met Roger Goodell after he called him out. He graciously accepted the Bears Jersey from Goodell himself. Just like the draft positions, Caleb Williams is also leading the best-dressed conversation as he walks on the red carpet. Rome Odunze, whom the Bears picked to pair with Williams, Malik Nabers, Drake Maye, and Marvin Harrison Jr. also showed up in style.

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Washington Commanders picked LSU’s Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall after months of rumors and the New England Patriots selected North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 3

For the first time, six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, an NFL Draft record. The first 14 selections were all offensive players, also a draft record. It was not until the Indianapolis Colts selected UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu at No. 15 that a defensive player was picked.

The first day of the 2024 draft turned out to be an exciting affair. The Motor City fans will hope to turn up in big numbers again for Day 2, as they eye NFL Draft history.