Here's the 'most important' thing to do before visiting Detroit for NFL Draft

The most important thing on your to-do list before heading to the NFL Draft in Detroit?

Download the league’s NFL OnePass app, according to coordinators from the NFL events team.

There, you’ll be able to find information on how to get to the various events and activations that are projected to take up two million square feet of space in downtown Detroit, as well as where to stay, security details and where to eat near the draft stage in Campus Martius. OnePass is also required to participate in any interactive games on-site, according to the Visit Detroit website.

"The most important thing, download NFL OnePass before coming down on either of the three days," said Steve Farrago, NFL manager for events.

The league highlighted two main arms of its Downtown Detroit footprint — the outdoor draft theater in Campus Martius and the NFL Draft Experience in Hart Plaza — in addition to six other locations “that have watch party elements to the draft,” said NFL senior director of events Nicki Ewell.

“We also have our partnership in DDP, and the Downtown Detroit Partnerships, they have six other locations throughout downtown that have watch-party elements to the draft, which we’re excited about,” Ewell said. “We also have Corner Ballpark, the Play Football Field at Corner Ballpark…is going to be home to all of our youth activities, but they also have screens there to show the draft.”

The NFL Draft Experience will have an autograph stage, a replica NFL locker room, Super Bowl rings, the Lombardi Trophy and more. It opens at 12 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and goes through 10 p.m. each night. It opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday. 

Ewell said it’ll be “hundreds of thousands of fans” coming to the main event site over the three-day event (April 25-27). She warned there may be issues of overcrowding due to the centralized location of the draft stage compared to previous locations in other cities.

“If there is an issue on Thursday with capacity, we encourage fans to come back on Friday, come back on Saturday,” Ewell said.

Activities at the Corner Ballpark include a field-goal challenge, food trucks, the chance for children to try on NFL equipment and more. The doors open at Corner Ballpark on Thursday, the day of Round 1, at 3 p.m. The Ballpark opens at 3 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.

“The reason why we’re engaging there is because we didn’t have the width and depth needed for an almost-regulation-sized football field,” Ewell said. “We wanted to take advantage of the amazing facilities at Corner Ballpark. (The Police Athletic League) has been an amazing partner for us, so we’re excited.”

There will be a headliner performing a pre-draft concert at the draft theater in Campus Martius. The artist is to be named at a later date.

Construction on the draft stage began on March 29 and has been a process that’s 18 months and counting. 

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi