Philly Receives Raves Over NFL Draft Experience

The NFL Draft is now just a fond memory in the annals of Philadelphia history, but the city continues to be lauded by sports fans and media outlets for just how well it handled the event. To say that the draft was a success is an understatement: there were no arrests made throughout the entire event, and fans overwhelmingly loved the experience curated for them by the city.

The NFL Draft was a rousing success in Philadelphia.

The first night of the draft saw 100,000 people pack the confines of the draft grounds, set on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Overall, more than 250,000 fans attended the festivities. That’s an NFL record for attendance. It was the first-ever outdoor draft, which may have been a risky choice, but the risk paid off and fans were able to jam the Parkway all the way to the Art Museum, where the draft itself was taking place.

The NFL knew that it wanted the “Rocky steps” for its event, and they got them, with Philly erecting a massive stage at the base of the steps. It made for great press photos watching players descend down the steps as they were called from the green room.

Fans, even if they didn’t get lucky enough to receive a NFL Draft ticket, were the real winners at the event. The city created a huge and immersive Fan Experience, which encompassed everything from player autographs and photo opportunities to a kids’ corner where little ones could blow off some steam. According to iSportsWeb, “For the kids there was “combine corner” which had the various drills that many of the prospects went through just a month ago at the NFL Scouting Combine. Some of the events included the forty-yard-dash, the vertical jump, kicking field goals, and throwing passes over your favorite NFL defenders. Next to the combine corner was the Autograph Center where kids could meet various players and get autographs.”

For grown ups, there were mannequins wearing various team colors, over fifty Super Bowl rings, and the Lombardi Trophy with which to take pictures. And that’s barely scratching the surface.

Kudos to our city for rocking the NFL Draft, and may the awesomeness of the experience bring the NFL back in years to come!