Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is congratulated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being the No. 2 overall pick by the Detroit Lions during the NFL draft Thursday, April 28, 2022.
Friday, April 29, 2022 | 2 a.m.
A fan in a collared, short-sleeve Detroit Lions’ shirt one row back of the barricade in front of the Belaggio fountains motions forward and points to Kayvon Thibodeaux as the Oregon edge rusher struts down the red carpet.
Another Lions’ fan, in a Matthew Stafford jersey hunched over the rail in front, had just asked the stranger who he thought their team was going to take with the 2022 NFL Draft’s overall No. 2 pick. He wasn’t happy with the response, immediately launching into an endorsement of Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
“That’s who I’m hoping,” the man responded. “Bring him home.”
Hutchinson is coming home all right. And it appeared the majority of Lions’ fans were ecstatic about it after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick Thursday night at Caesars Forum.
Dots of light blue bounced up and down across the entire packed makeshift outdoor venue where fans stretched back to the High Roller and cheers rang out as Hutchinson rushed onto the stage and embraced Goodell.
With the NFL Draft taking over a portion of the Strip from the red carpet at Bellagio to the main stage behind the High Roller and attracting hundreds of thousands of fans, outsiders have wondered what all the fuss is about. What’s the appeal of an event centered on reading a bunch of names anyway?
Thursday night’s first round — the action will continue at 4 p.m. today with the second and third rounds before concluding with a 9 a.m. start time Saturday — provided an answer.
Many fans have compared their draft enthusiasm to being a child on Christmas morning, ecstatic to open the gifts of new impact players for their favorite teams. But it’s also like a great riddle to solve for every other football fan — especially this year.
There was less consensus projections of the picks at the top of the board than any time in the last decade. That made conversations like the one between the two Lions’ fans watching the red carpet proliferate across the draft’s one-million square-foot space for hours leading up to the draft.
Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker had emerged as the betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but some prominent mock drafters stuck with Hutchinson at the top. Hutchinson himself insisted on the red carpet that he didn’t know where he was going and maintained that was the truth after being selected.
He said he only found out he was staying in Michigan when Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell called him after Walker indeed went first. The move in the betting odds tipped Hutchinson off that he was unlikely to go first, he said, but he didn’t know how far he may slip after that.
“I don’t really gamble too much,” Hutchinson said after he was picked. “I’m pretty conservative with my money, but you see a couple change-ups and it’s ‘Oh, I guess I’m not going No. 1 anymore.’”
The first audible gasps from the overflow crowd came from the next pick, when the Houston Texans validated reports linking them to LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. by taking him third overall. The reaction made the pick seem like a slight surprise to the masses, just like the response to the No. 5 overall pick when the Giants took Thibodeaux, who one-upped Hutchinson energy-wise by banging his chest and yelling on stage.
Unwrapping the fate of potential All-Pro players is the fun of the draft and being on hand to see it live takes it to another level.
While the picks provided more suspense than the usual draft, Las Vegas delivered on one sure thing — that it would be the best host in the event’s history.
Through the first and biggest day, the city has more than lived up to that promise. The crowd was unavoidably packed on top of each other once the picks started, but the draft’s large footprint made the rest of the day feel comfortable.
There was plenty of space to accommodate what felt like hundreds of fans from each of the league’s 32 teams roaming around. The grounds felt safe and welcoming with a large presence of friendly police officers patrolling every area.
Traffic didn’t even seem to be as major of an issue as many expected with large swaths of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road — renamed “Draft Drive” with new street signs for the weekend — shut down.
“This seems like a perfect fit for us,” Goodell said shortly before the draft started during an interview on NFL Network. “When we did this, I didn’t think any of us knew it was going to be this successful, but every city takes this event and puts their own spin on it. … I think this has really meshed the relationship between the NFL, the Raiders and Las Vegas.”
The NFL seems committed to moving the draft around the country for the foreseeable future, but Las Vegas should cut the line among sites hoping to host for a second time if the next two days go smoothly. There’s no reason to believe they won’t.
Thursday was a perfect debut. The uncertainty to start the draft certainly enhanced the experience, but it wasn’t the only reason for the success.
After a five-year wait, Las Vegas elevated the NFL Draft — both for the players and the fans.
“I’m soaking it all in,” Hutchinson said.
