Behind the scenes of the fan experience of the NFL Draft

PITTSBURGH — The NFL’s Draft Theater is the main focus of the whole NFL Draft event.

It is made up of 1,300 LED panels and will be where the prospects walk out when their name is called by their brand-new NFL team.

“We also have screens in and around the entire North Shore, the Bud Light Beer Hall over by the Play 60 area. There are screens everywhere, as well as Point State Park,” NFL Vice President of Global Events Nicki Ewell said.

Something new for the draft they’re doing this year is opening the stadium for fans to watch the draft. If you can’t get a spot outside of the draft theater or don’t want to go over to Point State Park, you’ll actually be able to sit in the lower bowl of Acrisure Stadium and watch the draft. Every pick of the draft on the Jumbotron.

Something else that’s cool is that kids will be able to participate in some skills games on the field in Acrisure Stadium and then you can kick a field goal right in the end zone of the stadium.

On Friday and Saturday, you’ll actually be able to ride the Gateway Clipper between the two Point State Park and the Draft Theater for free if you have the NFL One Pass app.

“I have every confidence that Steelers Nation, that this city, that fans are going to come here from around the country and around the world and are gonna reset the bar for the draft,” Executive Vice President of the NFL Peter O’Reilly said.

All six Steelers Lombardi trophies are on display through the entire weekend, and all six Steelers Super Bowl rings, life-size replicas of those rings, are also on display.

We’ve been talking a lot about the Steelers fan cave in the 1970s-themed basement. That is all ready to go. The decorations are hung up. A lot of different local vendors have concessions and there are a lot of different photo opportunities for fans.

“Come on down. Be a part of this thing. This is a special thing to be a part of. It’s going to be historic,” O’Reilly said.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW