With the NFL Draft this week, all eyes will be focused on Green Bay as the Detroit Lions’ rival is hosting this year’s event. This comes just one year after Detroit faithful showed their collective fandom by breaking the league record for attendance at the draft.
Lions fans showed out in force, totaling over 775,000 during the three-day spectacle, including over 200,000 during the first day. Detroit smashed the previous record of just over 600,000 set by Nashville in 2019, showcasing just how excited the city is about its football resurgence.
It’ll be a tall task for Packers fans to top that number, and Lions president Rod Wood issued a special challenge virtually guaranteeing that they aren’t up to the task.
Lions President Takes Shot at Packers Fans Ahead of NFL Draft
Appearing at the Detroit Economic Club, Wood said, “I don’t think they’ll ever top it. There’s no way Green Bay will come close. They’ll finish second – or they’ll finish third like they did last year.”
It’s an incredible dig at the Packers’ third-place result in the NFC North last season. Detroit has won the division two years running and is favored with +130 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win it for a third straight campaign, suggesting the North belongs to the Lions. Based on Wood’s comments, perhaps the draft does too.
Detroit has done a spectacular job in the draft in recent years, finding stars like Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, and more. They’ll select 28th in the first round on Thursday while Green Bay picks 23rd, though both organizations expect to find difference-makers throughout the weekend.
There’s no love lost between these two rivals, nor should there be. The Packers’ recent string of first-round selections, including potential 2024 bust Jordan Morgan, hasn’t been encouraging. Their picks have paled in comparison to the Lions’, and general manager Brad Holmes clearly has a better pulse on prospects than Brian Gutekunst.
We’ll see what happens over the next few days, but Wood clearly has reason to feel confident about his franchise and fan base.