Massive crowd in attendance for NFL Draft in Pittsburgh: PHOTOS

Brian Jones Previews The NFL Draft on Hot Mic

Well, the NFL got what it wanted Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Hours before Round 1 even started, the line to get into the Draft Experience was already thousands of people deep. The Steelers posted a video of fans lined up in broad daylight, and by the time ESPN was showing aerial shots on TV, the area outside Acrisure Stadium looked absolutely jammed.

Whatever official number winds up getting attached to it later, Pittsburgh already passed the eyeball test.

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And that’s really the whole point now.

A general view of the draft tent is seen prior to Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The league has spent years turning this NFL Draft into a 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 being played on a field. The NFL has shown that it can put its commissioner on a stage, reading a bunch of names, and still draw hundreds of thousands of people to a venue. It's quite impressive, honestly.

Pittsburgh is exactly the type of city that makes sense for the league to target for the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh isn't getting a Super Bowl because it's a cold winter city with an outdoor stadium. But the fanbase is rabid and hungry to host major events.

Plus, it looks great on TV. The skyline and the bridges produce a beautiful April backdrop. And the shot of that packed area outside Acrisure (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) is exactly what the league wants the country to see.

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