Nine of the invited NFL draft prospects pose on the top of Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY. (Ben Liebenberg / NFL.com)

The men of the hour — all nine of them — finally made their way inside Radio City Music Hall on Friday afternoon. In less than 24 hours they’ll be back, and one of them will be the top overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

The nine players who will be waiting in the green room for their names to be called — Matthew Stafford, Brian Orakpo, Michael Crabtree, Aaron Curry, Josh Freeman, Brian Cushing, Michael Oher, Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe — got their first look inside today.

After talking with Stafford, Orakpo and Cushing, the guys seem excited but tired. It’s worth noting that Jason Smith was wearing cowboy boots. Let’s see if that holds true tomorrow. It could be a draft first.

The players’ Friday tour of Manhattan included Central Park, the NFL offices at 280 Park Avenue, the CBS Morning Show, Mount Sinai Hospital and the New York Stock Exchange — enough to send any tourist straight to happy hour.

Their stay inside Radio City Music Hall was brief, and after another round of interviews and the obligatory photo session on top of the marquee outside, they were out. That’s the latest update for the men of the hour.

As for the home of the draft, Radio City Music Hall has been in a constant state of preparation all day. You’d be amazed at how many people are involved. The team tables you’ll see on the tube tomorrow just got their finishing touches — with team helmets, black phones and jars of team-colored M&Ms in place (the Colts’ jar may be missing a few).

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Draft, News  |