Detroit Lions fans rejoice after Round 1 of NFL draft: 'We knew magic was gonna happen'
As Mark Elker watched the 2024 NFL draft inch closer to the Detroit Lions' pick, he couldn't help but hope.
After hours standing outside downtown amidst the festivities at Campus Martius, he also couldn't hold it any longer.
It was just as he left the bathroom that he learned the Lions traded up from the 29th pick the 24th pick. Suddenly, three hours after the draft started, his team was on the clock. He also knew his guy, Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, remained on the board.
So he did what any dedicated fan would do: The 62-year-old from Northville ran.
He couldn't run too fast: it was dark, cold, and the massive Honolulu blue firefighters helmet he wore was less than aerodynamic. Yet he made it back to the plaza in time to hear the announcement that the Lions picked a man whom some believe could be the missing piece to a Super Bowl roster.
"He's the guy I was hoping for. I kept thinking: he's dropping, make a move, make a move," Elker said minutes after the pick.
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CARLOS MONARREZ: Lions' 1st-round deal for Alabama CB Terrion Arnold fills their biggest need
His son, Jacob, was equally excited about the pick. The Lions helmet atop his own head bobbled up and down as he elaborated on why it was an obvious pick for the franchise.
Like the others around him standing near the draft stage, he said he felt the electricity surge as people realized Detroit traded up.
"I was closer (to the stage) in the crowd, and as soon as the logo came up, we were like, 'Oh no, oh God!' We knew magic was gonna happen," said Jacob, 32.
It was a day of magic for fans of football, the Lions and the city of Detroit. On a day that started sunny and warm, fans weathered the wind and cold as they awaited word on the new additions to their teams.
The NFL Draft Experience, housed at Hart Plaza, closed at 10 p.m., but that did not prevent the Lions faithful from flocking to Campus Martius to see who general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell would nab in the draft.
Per usual, speculation fueled an array of possible outcomes for the Lions pick. Some suggested the team needed offensive line depth, others wanted another wide receiver or an edge rusher. Plenty surmised Homes, not known for sticking and picking, would find a way to move up or down the draft board.
In the end, he went with arguably the best defensive back in the draft class. As he took the stage, Arnold told the fans Holmes made the right choice.
"Y'all got a star, man," Arnold said on the main stage, as fans started chanting his last name. "We going to the Super Bowl."
The final direction didn't matter to Suporn Teng, 40, of East Lansing. As soon he saw the Lions on the clock, he put his faith in Holmes.
"What I thought was: I trust Brad Holmes with my life," Teng said, egged on by his friends.
Sang Lam, 41 of Holland, an avowed fan of "Motor City Dan Campbell," said he loved the trade up and, in general, really enjoyed his first live draft experience.
"It's been phenomenal. This is our first draft experience so for us, 40 years in the making, it's been awesome," said Lam, adding he's been a Lions fan since birth.
The Lions gave up a third-round pick to make the move up to No. 24. That means they entered Friday with one Day 2 choice: a second-round pick, No. 61 overall.
Rest assured, Lions fans will swarm downtown again to see who the braintrust in Allen Park brings home next.
Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions fans rejoice after taking Terrion Arnold in NFL draft
