Pittsburgh hasn't hosted an NFL Draft before, but on Thursday evening, 23 April 2026, North Shore Drive becomes the most watched half-mile in American football — a stage built outside Acrisure Stadium, framed by the Allegheny River and the skyline that once built the country's steel, broadcasting live to a projected audience of more than nine million viewers.
The three-day event, running Thursday through Saturday at Stage AEI Plaza, is the culmination of months in which 32 teams have scouted, medically examined, and psychologically assessed more than 300 draft-eligible players. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the host franchise, enter the event holding 12 picks — the most of any team in the league — including their first-round selection at No. 21 overall. The NFL projects more than 250,000 fans across all three days, a figure comparable to the record-setting 2023 Kansas City draft. Last year's first-round broadcast drew a combined 12.4 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network.
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