Three Detroit Tigers players enjoy NFL draft live, share 'cool experience' in downtown Detroit
Three Detroit Tigers players went to the NFL draft.
Alex Faedo, Casey Mize and Jason Foley accounted for three of the 275,000 people, a record-setting crowd, in attendance on the first day of 2024 NFL draft on Thursday in downtown Detroit.
The three Tigers pitchers, along with hitting coach Michael Brdar, were stationed at the draft theater near Campus Martius, but the festivities extended to Hart Plaza. Jordan Field, the Tigers' director of player and alumni relations, took care of the players by setting them up with VIP passes.
The downtown atmosphere was electric.
"Crazy but amazing to see," Mize said. "It was a cool experience."
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"It felt like you were at a festival or concert," Faedo said. "I thought the city of Detroit put on a good event. I thought the fans were awesome. It was funny listening to them boo (NFL commissioner Roger) Goodell and the other teams in the division. I booed a few times."
"It was sweet," Foley said. "You couldn't really walk down there. It was tough to get around. We were navigating the streets somehow. A lot of fans recognized myself, Alex and Casey, so it was pretty cool to see some support that way."
The Detroit Lions fans at the draft theater erupted in cheers — loud enough that people inside nearby apartments could hear their celebration — when the Lions traded up five spots in Thursday's first round to select Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the No. 24 overall pick.
In 2018, the Tigers drafted Mize with the No. 1 overall pick out of Auburn.
Auburn's chief rival is Alabama, and in the Iron Bowl between the SEC schools last November, Arnold had an interception — his second of the game — against former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne at the end of regulation, securing Alabama's 27-24 win. Arnold, a first-team All-American, led Alabama and tied for the SEC lead with five interceptions last season.
"Not great on my end," Mize said, "but I'm happy for Lions fans. Good pick."
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Faedo, whom the Tigers drafted No. 18 overall in 2017 out of Florida, is a big football fan. He broke down the Arnold pick, as well as Lions general manager Brad Holmes' decision to trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
The trade allowed the Lions to jump from No. 29 to No. 24 in the first round.
"Anyone who plays defensive back for Nick Saban is pretty good," Faedo said, referencing Saban's expertise as a defensive back dating back his playing career at Kent State in the early 1970s before his legendary coaching career. "It was cool to see. The defensive players went a little bit later, so I think the Lions got a good pick, probably got a steal at that spot trading up. I think they got their guy."
The city of Detroit has spent two years preparing for the 2024 draft.
Detroit shined on a national stage.
"It was super well-run," Mize said. "All the chaos was organized chaos. You could see how much the fans have rallied behind the Lions. It's pretty inspiring for all of us. We want that as well, and we have to earn it, so I look forward to earning that."
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The Tigers are eager to pack Comerica Park with fans by winning more games. With an unprecedented amount of foot traffic downtown Friday afternoon for the second day of the draft, there just happened to be a thing to do — watch a baseball game — before the second and third round picks in the evening.
"We need about a third of them to come on in to Comerica before the second round," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "We'll welcome anybody that wants to pre-party at Comerica before we party on in the NFL. It was awesome. I thought our city showed well."
There have been sellout crowds for Opening Day and franchise icon Miguel Cabrera in recent seasons, but the Tigers haven't had a single-season top-10 attendance among the 30 MLB teams since the early 2010s.
That will change if the Tigers win like the Lions.
"The more we continue to string together wins and series wins and good stretches, hopefully, fans continue to show," said Foley, undrafted out of Sacred Heart in Connecticut. "I hope down the stretch, when we're fighting for the AL Central title, hopefully they keep coming and showing support. It's really cool."
The Tigers are trending in the right direction, with a 14-11 record entering their weekend series against the Kansas City Royals.
It's early, but postseason hopes remain alive, and therefore, fans remain engaged in what's happening on the field. Look no further than Faedo's interaction with someone at the NFL draft for a reminder that sports fans in Detroit are passionate about the Tigers, not just the Lions.
"I had a guy chirp me about my (pitch) sequencing last night at the draft," said Faedo, who recently gave up a home run to pull-hitter Isaac Paredes with a fastball on the outside part of the plate. "At first, it kind of pissed me off, but then I was like, at least he understands the game. He was telling me how he could see the (hitter) was crowding the plate. It's like, damn, these guys know ball."
So, was the fan right?
"He probably was right," Faedo said, laughing.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 Detroit Tigers get up close, 'cool experience' at NFL draft
