2019 NFL Draft: Take a look at the Detroit Lions draft hats

It’s an annual tradition for the NFL to release special draft hats for each NFL team in celebration of April’s event. Is it a shameless cash grab by the league? Probably. But it’s also an opportunity for fans to grab some Detroit Lions swag that’s different from the usual offerings.

This year is no different, as New Era has officially released the 32 sets of 2019 NFL draft hats for each franchise.

There doesn’t seem to be a cohesive theme to this year’s hats, although some teams got some region-specific flair added to the logo. (UPDATE: It appears, actually, that all of these hats are based on state flags. Some are more obvious than others) For example, there’s this—let’s call it interesting—combination of the North and South Carolina flags for the Panthers hat:

The Dolphins have a cute little palm tree on theirs.

The Detroit Lions have a localized twist to their draft hats, as well. While on the surface it looks like a more nationalized theme of America...

... this is actually a play on the official City of Detroit flag:

New Era is also offering this alternate version that certainly leans more patriotic.

Personally, while I appreciate the honoring of the city of Detroit, the design just doesn’t do it for me. I personally prefer simplicity over details, and this just looks a little messy to me.

If you’re interested in buying these hats, they’re available in the Detroit Lions official store or at NewEraCap.com.