Massive crowd in attendance for NFL Draft in Pittsburgh: PHOTOS
The NFL got what it wanted Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Hours before the start of Round 1, the line to enter the Draft Experience was already filled with thousands of people. The Steelers released video of fans lined up in broad daylight, and when ESPN aired aerial footage on TV, the area outside Acrisure Stadium appeared completely jammed.
Whatever official trick was later attached to it, Pittsburgh had already passed the eyeball test.
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And now that’s the point.
A general view of the draft tent is seen before Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The league has spent years turning this NFL Draft into one giant traveling football party, and Pittsburgh is the latest proof that the concept works.
Shocking development: Football fans enjoy football. They don’t even need football to be played on the field. The NFL has shown that it can put the commissioner on stage and read many names and still draw hundreds of thousands of people to a venue. Quite impressive, to be honest.
Pittsburgh makes perfect sense as the type of city the league should target for the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh isn’t making the Super Bowl because it’s a cold winter city with an outdoor stadium. But the fan base is rabid and hungry to host big events.
Plus it looks great on TV. The skyline and bridges create a beautiful April backdrop. And the view of that crowded field outside Acrisure (Heinz Field, still in the hearts of civilized people) is exactly the view the league wants the country to see.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks to the podium during the First Round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
It also helps that this is the kind of city people can come to for something like this. Because they really care and that’s important. This isn’t like hosting the draft in a city like Los Angeles, where people come just to have something cool to share on Instagram.
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For all the hand-wringing about how many prospects decide to participate in person each year, the NFL has made its choice pretty clear. He would rather have a sea of fans outside than a few more players in the green room. That’s where the energy comes from. This is what looks good on TV. And more importantly for the league, it’s what makes the draft one of the biggest events on the sports calendar, even without a single player suiting up.
Pittsburgh did this before the first pick was even announced.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans cheer ahead of the First Round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Perhaps his final audience run ends as he flirts with the biggest draft crowd we’ve ever seen. Maybe not. But no one looking at Thursday’s event can seriously claim that the city wasn’t exposed in a big way.
The NFL wanted a monster crowd and a full-on festival atmosphere.
Pittsburgh gave him one.
