Detroit Lions Prez Dishes Out Shade as Packers Prep for NFL Draft Spotlight

The flames of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers rivalry just got a little hotter, and it's not even football season.

On Tuesday, Detroit Lions president Rod Wood couldn't resist tossing a playful jab at the Packers as Green Bay gears up to host the NFL Draft. After Detroit's record-breaking event last year, Wood suggested at the team's annual draft luncheon that the bar might be set a little too high for their NFC North rivals.

"Trying to get the NFL to consider bringing it back (to Detroit) because I don't think they'll ever top it," Wood declared. "There's no way Green Bay will come close. They'll finish second or, as I said to Brad, they'll finish third like they did last year."

Detroit's 2024 draft saw a whopping 775,000 fans pour into the city over three days, shattering the old record from Nashville in 2019. Now, Green Bay, the NFL's smallest market, is anticipating around 250,000 attendees as they host this year – which, let's be real, is still a lot of cheeseheads in one place.

The NFL Draft is more than just a list of team picks; it's the unofficial kickoff for the new season, drawing huge crowds and TV audiences every year. The Lions, fresh off an NFC North victory, are set to pick 28th in the first round, while the Packers land at number 23.

While the draft is all about future stars, the real competition this week might just be which city can throw the bigger football party. One thing's for sure: the Lions-Packers banter is in midseason form, and the scoreboard isn't even on yet.