Entry into the draft got temporarily halted for fans
For the first time ever, the NFL Draft was held in the league’s smallest market (Green Bay), and as it turns out, the event was so popular that the NFL actually had to start turning fans away before the Tennessee Titans even went on the clock to make the first overall pick.
The draft officially started at 8 p.m. ET, and just four minutes after that, the Packers announced that entry into the draft would be temporarily paused because the event had reached its maximum capacity.
The Green Bay police department also noted that entry into the draft would be temporarily halted for fans.
Based on social media reaction, some fans were definitely upset that they weren’t able to get it. Apparently, fans were turned away even if they got to the gate a full one hour before the draft started.
Although some fans were upset, there were also plenty of fans who took the news in stride and didn’t seem to mind that they weren’t going to be allowed to enter the draft.
Green Bay is a city of just 105,000 people and there were more than that at the draft. During his opening speech at the draft, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned that there were 125,000 fans “and counting” in attendance. If you’re wondering what it looks like to have 125,000 fans crammed into a small area, the NFL shared a photo that will give you an idea of what exactly that looks like.
The NFL did eventually reopen the gates to the draft theater after about 40 minutes, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. The fans outside the venue missed one of the craziest moments of the draft when the Jaguars landed Travis Hunter after making a trade with the Cleveland Browns for the second overall pick.
