It’s no Oscars or Grammys or Met Gala, but the NFL Draft is pretty close.
Each year, the NFL’s top prospects put on their best suits and ties to walk the red carpet at the draft. It’s a chance for them to show off their style and personality before heading to the pros. It’s an added bonus for fans, too, as seeing players walk across the stage after hearing their names called is one of the best parts of the event.
Many of the top college stars will be in Detroit come Thursday. The latest Heisman winner, the No. 1 pick, and more will grace downtown before officially becoming a pro. However, the red carpet will still be without over half of the first-round picks.
Take a look at who will and won’t be at the 2024 NFL Draft.
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J.J. McCarthy led Michigan to the latest national championship after the Wolverines’ tumultuous season. He’s one of many, many talented and highly anticipated quarterbacks in this year’s draft.
However, he won’t be in Detroit. The NFL’s official listing of attendees does not include the Michigan QB, as he declined the league’s invitation.
He’s expected to be selected in the first round of the draft as the No. 3 or 4 quarterback off the board, but McCarthy will be watching the draft at home with close friends and family and shown virtually after his name is selected.
MORE: Tracking the latest news and rumors for J.J. McCarthy ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft
Brock Bowers is arguably one of the best tight ends to play college football. He helped Georgia to back-to-back national championships and holds the program’s single-season record for receiving touchdowns with 13 as a freshman.
While he is long and far the best TE in the NFL Draft, he won’t be in Detroit. Bowers is one of three prospects to turn down the league’s invitation to the event.
Instead, he’ll be with his family watching the event from home. Whether that’s in Napa, Calif., or Athens, Ga., only time will tell.
2024 NFL DRAFT TOP 10 LISTS: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE
Every year, the NFL invites a select number of top prospects to the draft to walk the red carpet and accept their new team’s hat and jersey on stage. It makes sense the league only wants first-rounders in Detroit. The first night of the draft (Thursday) only goes through the first round, so any players selected later would have little reason to attend the event in-person.
This year, there will be 13 prospects, no more than three from each position, waiting in the green room to walk the stage at Campus Martius in Detroit. That isn’t always a solid number, as 17 draftees were in Kansas City last year.
Attending the draft does not mean a player is guaranteed to be picked first round.
MORE: Tracking the latest news and buzz ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft
| Player | Position | College | Projected pick |
| Caleb Williams | QB | USC | No. 1 (Bears) |
| Drake Maye | QB | North Carolina | No. 2 (Commanders) |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU | No. 3 (Patriots) |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Ohio State | No. 4 (Cardinals) |
| Malik Nabers | WR | LSU | No. 6 (Giants) |
| Dallas Turner | Edge | Alabama | No. 8 (Falcons) |
| Laiatu Latu | Edge | UCLA | No. 9 (Bears) |
| Rome Odunze | WR | Washington | No. 10 (Jets) |
| Terrion Arnold | CB | Alabama | No. 17 (Jaguars) |
| J.C. Latham | OT | Alabama | No. 18 (Bengals) |
| Quinyon Mitchell | CB | Toledo | No. 22 (Eagles) |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU | No. 28 (Bills) |
| Darius Robinson | Edge | Missouri | No. 33 (Panthers) |
The main event kicks off Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Only the first round of the draft will be completed on Thursday, while rounds two and three begin on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday’s portion, which includes all the remaining rounds of the draft, begins at noon ET.
