7 things we learned from Roger Goodell's NFL draft 'Pregame Huddle' in Detroit
Even as the Detroit Lions are in the thick of an extraordinary playoff season, excitement is building for the postseason NFL draft that is set to happen this spring in downtown Detroit and potentially draw more than 300,000 visitors.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made his own visit to Ford Field on Wednesday for a "Pregame Huddle" in anticipation of the April 25-27 draft weekend, where in addition to teams making picks for players, members of the public can come for various interactive games, athletic challenges, concerts and exhibits.
Seated before an audience of over 600 people, most of whom were there for a partnership meeting of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Goodell chatted onstage with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico about NFL officiating, football enthusiasm in Detroit, why the draft stopped happening in New York City and why it's coming to Detroit.
More: Economic impact from 2024 NFL draft in Detroit is expected to rival that of Super Bowl
Later on, Tirico chatted with Lions President and CEO Rod Wood, along with several city ambassadors, about their expectations for the draft's impact.
Here are some takeaways and key facts that emerged during the event and backstage:
As many as 300,000-plus visitors are expected
At least 300,000 visitors are expected in Detroit for draft weekend, based on attendance at the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City, but there likely will be even greater attendance because Detroit — unlike Kansas City — is within a 4 ½-hour drive of six other NFL team cities (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Buffalo).
When NFL draft event details will be released
Event schedules and details for the Detroit draft aren't expected to be released until after the Super Bowl. But activities will likely take place in Campus Martius, Hart Plaza and on Woodward Avenue, with the live entertainment likely split between Campus Martius and Hart Plaza.
Past NFL drafts have featured big assortments of activities and public attractions, in addition to the actual players selection process.
“What we anticipate is Hart Plaza is going to be the punt, pass, kick, 40-yard dash, flag football and all the interactive stuff," Claude Molinari, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau, told reporters.
"And then Campus Martius would likely be where the main draft stage would be, where the commissioner greets the folks. And then there will be other things on Woodward Avenue towards the Fox Theatre and down towards the river.”
Why the draft leaving NYC was right decision
Goodell said the decision for the draft to leave New York City and instead take place in other NFL team cities, beginning in 2015, turned out to be a great decision.
The draft had been held every year at Radio City Music Hall, but one year, a scheduling conflict threatened to push the event into June.
Since exiting New York and going on tour, the various NFL draft host cities have “taken it and created their own brand of the draft, their own style, their own approach," Goodell said.
Detroit had been considered for 2 previous drafts
Detroit made two unsuccessful bids to host the draft in the 2010s before finally landing it two years ago for 2024. Molinari said the NFL didn't give precise reasons why Detroit's earlier bids fell short, although he said he believes that the city's recent boomlet of new hotel openings played a big role in the city getting chosen this time.
"I do think though that a lack of hotel infrastructure — especially downtown — was one of the challenges for us, and the fact that we’ve been able to add over 1,000 hotel rooms since the previous failed draft (bid) was also a big factor," Molinari said. “We still have a long way to go, but we’re much better off than where we were.”
Some of the newest hotels include the 227-room Godfrey Hotel in Corktown and the 158-room Cambria and 117-room ROOST hotels in downtown.
Lions' 'can-do spirit' helped to land the draft this year
Goodell said the Lions organization, with their "can-do spirit," deserves a great deal of credit for helping Detroit ultimately land the draft.
“They believed that this community should be on the stage, and they pursued it very aggressively," Goodell said. "They brought the business community together along with the public sector, and leadership here has been extraordinary."
The public-private partnership behind the Detroit draft includes the Detroit Sports Commission, the Lions and the convention and visitors bureau, as well as corporate sponsors Rocket Companies, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Flagstar Bank, General Motors, Huntington National Bank, Penske Corp. and PNC Bank.
Virtual viewers could surpass 60 million
Goodell expects the draft to bring a lot of positive attention and exposure to Detroit from visitors as well as the millions expected to watch the event at home.
"We want you to do it Detroit style," he said. "Let people understand what Detroit is all about. And you won’t get a bigger platform — our draft here will probably (reach) 60 million to 70 million people over the three days. There are not many opportunities to do that."
And about that NFL officiating call
Tirico posed a question to Goodell about NFL officiating, which has been a sore subject in Detroit since a referee's highly controversial call over a player reporting as eligible resulted in the Lions losing 19-20 to the Dallas Cowboys Dec. 30.
"Listen, I’m proud of our officials," Goodell said. "I think they do an extraordinary job. They aren’t perfect — they’re making decisions out there in a matter of seconds — but what we’ve seen in a variety of circumstances this year, without getting into any specifics, is they get it right and they’re still criticized."
He added: "They are the hardest working people I’ve seen, they take great pride in it. I’m very proud of what they do.”
Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL Commissioner sounds off on Detroit, draft event expectations
