The NFL puts its 2026 draft in the hands of one its most historic teams. So maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise plenty of people showed up.
The three-day 2026 NFL Draft drew a total of 805,000 fans to Pittsburgh’s North Shore. That breaks a record previously held by Detroit, which drew more than 700,000 fans in 2024.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy shortly after the seventh round, which ended with Buffalo’s Red Murdock becoming Mr. Irrelevant.
Yinzers (and fans around the world) showed up and showed off. New three-day Draft attendance record. Thank you to the Rooneys, @steelers, and the entire Pittsburgh area. pic.twitter.com/SWR8697Nq9
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) April 25, 2026
Pittsburgh fans certainly made their voices heard over the course of the events. They loudly booed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and all of their rivals’ pickers, though the home team also received some hits back, such as the Philadelphia Eagles swiping Makai Lemon out from under their nose or former Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram going full troll.
All of that sets the bar for next year’s draft, which will be held on the National Mall in Washington D.C.