“You’re going to see all the fan favorites that we bring on the road when we go to the Super Bowl and the NFL Drafts,” says Nicki Ewell, NFL Director of Events. “Cleveland is probably not going to get the chance to host a Super Bowl, so this is your opportunity to see how the NFL puts on an event, and we’re the best in the world at doing it.
Tickets are free to the NFL Draft Experience, but a reservation is required and Ewell expects each session to sell out. To secure your spot, download the NFL OnePass app, which also includes other draft details. With a capacity of 50,000 fans each day, masks and temperature checks will be required for entry, and — just like a Browns game — there is a clear bag policy. Tickets grant entry to one of the three sessions per day, which run from 12 to 4 p.m., 4 to 8 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. The last session of the day coincides with the actual draft event.
Here are a few things you can expect when you visit.
Play Like A Pro
You could’ve made that field goal, right? Well with the NFL Draft Experience, you finally get the chance to find out. A series of interactive exhibits lets you inside FirstEnergy Stadium to kick a field goal into the Dawg Pound, run the 40-yard dash, attempt a vertical leap and more. Future pros can even take part in youth clinics led by NFL Play 60. If you’re more of a fan than a participant, other immersive displays offer photoshoots with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, up-close looks at Super Bowl rings and a test of the Oakley visors seen on player’s helmets. “It’s amazing to walk down those field stairs, go right on the real grass field, take a photo on the end zone and kick a field goal through the real uprights,” says Ewell.
A Cleveland Touch
While the NFL Draft is a celebration of all 32 teams, Cleveland is certainly the host of the 2021 party. Fans will get the chance to hear from current Cleveland Browns players Rashard Higgins, Denzel Ward and Harrison Bryant as well as Browns legend Bernie Kosar. When you get hungry, grab a bite from Cleveland food vendors including Ohio City BBQ, Irie Jamaican Kitchen, Cocky’s Bagels, Der Braumeister Restaurant, Mallorca Restaurant, Ninja City Kitchen and Bar, Sauce the City Food Hall, Anna in the Raw and more. “This is also a celebration of Cleveland and the Dawg Pound,” says Ewell. “We wanted to make sure we captured the local flavor and included the city’s great Black- and woman-owned businesses.”
Watch The Draft From The 50-Yard Line Of FirstEnergy Stadium
The NFL Draft Theater, which is the stage where the draft picks are announced, is not visible from the NFL Draft Experience. But while tickets to the NFL Draft Theater are no longer available, you can watch the event on the Jumbotron from FirstEnergy Stadium’s 100-level concourse seats. Television screens throughout the campus will also broadcast the event. If you’re hoping to be on the campus during the event, make sure you sign up for session three. “You can sit in a seat in FirstEnergy Stadium and actually watch the picks come off the board,” says Ewell.
Click here to read our full guide to the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland.
