Tonight, the NFL draft takes over a familiar site to Yoopers — Lambeau Field. And this year’s draft is on target to achieve a first. Barring a last-minute trade, every team will go into the draft with its original first-round pick for the first time in the common draft era that began in 1967.

In addition, the league is leveraging the excitement surrounding its premier offseason event to promote flag football.

Former NFL players Bobby Taylor and Mike Daniels led a flag football training clinic for students on Tuesday.

Draft prospects along with more former players participated in another flag football skills clinic that included 75 Special Olympics athletes on Wednesday.

Six high school girls’ flag football players will also be backstage tonight to hand off hats to the prospects who are drafted. On Saturday, girls flag players from Oneida Nation High School will announce one of the draft picks on stage thanks to Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Toyota.

“Having the NFL draft here in Green Bay, and obviously, flag football, especially girls flag football, it’s a growing sport,” Love said. “So we’re giving a girls flag football team in the area of Green Bay the opportunity to come out, get on stage during Day 3 of the NFL draft, actually go up there and announce a draft pick. We are empowering them and hopefully giving them an opportunity to visualize what a future in football looks like and making it to that pinnacle of the top.”

Love has also teamed up with Toyota, presenting sponsor of NFL Flag League Play, to increase opportunities for flag football players. They’re covering registration fees for all NFL Flag teams within a 25-mile radius of the Green Bay area.

The NFL’s goals of expanding flag football starts with Commissioner Roger Goodell. The league played a major role in getting flag football included in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Flag football has been growing dramatically here in the states as well as internationally,” Goodell said earlier this month. “It’s brought young women into the sport and it’s given them a chance to play, which I think is incredibly valuable to our future and rewarding. So now to put it on that Olympic stage is really putting a seal of approval. And frankly it’s going to be a stage where a lot of athletes are going to want to participate in, including former and current players, so we’ll to have to work through it. I think it’s a great opportunity for the athletes, a great opportunity for the NFL and I think it’ll be a great opportunity for people to understand football and what it brings to the world.”

It’s not every year that the NFL draft makes it to Green Bay. We know that there will be a large wave of Yoopers descending onto Lambeau Field to support their team, whether it be the Packers, Lions, Bears, or even the Vikings. We hope you enjoy your time there, and that your team’s selections leave you hopeful for the upcoming season.