PHILADELPHIA — Before the SEC got busy tying a record for most first-round draft picks from one conference (with 12), there was a lot of work to be done and time to be killed for fans and prospects alike.

As teams frantically made last-second changes to their draft boards, fans enjoyed the beautiful Philadelphia weather and gigantic draft setup on the street outside of the iconic Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

From 5 1/2 hours before to the start of the 2017 NFL Draft to the nearly four hours it took to complete the first round, Saturday Down South was on-site for all of Thursday’s action.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at some of the happenings from Day 1 of the three-day event in Philadelphia:

2:28 p.m.

The draft theater is enormous. You have to hand it to the NFL — when they do something, they do it big:

You’re looking at the famous Rocky Steps at the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. All of them. All 72 iconic steps are covered by a huge indoor theater the NFL has built over the past two weeks.

The place is already bustling.

Even though it’s a Thursday afternoon, a workday, there are thousands of NFL fans milling about with beers in their hand. They’re ready for the party.

It’s not quite the same atmosphere as an SEC tailgate, but Philly is doing what it can to show that the draft should be held here every year.

2:45 p.m.

Hopped on a media tour of where to find the players after they are drafted. If some of the players give boring, short answers, I fully understand why.

In the hour after being drafted — one of the biggest moments in their young lives — and giving commissioner Roger Goodell a bro hug or handshake or whatever they decide to do, players are whisked away to the gigantic media tent, where they have to do interviews with four radio outlets before heading into a press conference room.

From there, they are shuttled to a cramped stand-up interview room that will be jammed with cameras, microphones, bright lights and reporters.

Then it’s off to a different tent where they do interviews with NFL social media and EA Sports, sign some cards and then, finally, get to go back to their friends and families to celebrate.

The entire draft experience will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which is likely a good thing when it comes to the media firestorm they’ll be put through immediately after being picked.

3:34 p.m.

Only 4 1/2 hours until the draft starts and there aren’t many SEC jerseys in the crowd. There are plenty of NFL jerseys with former SEC players on them, though — from Dak Prescott and Odell Beckham Jr. to Peyton Manning and Cam Newton.

I was really hoping to find a group of Alabama fans or LSU supporters here to cheer on the several former Crimson Tide and Tiger players in attendance for the draft.

Roll Tide.

3:47 p.m.

Just talked to a few Browns fans. They are going to be very upset if Cleveland doesn’t pick Texas A&M star Myles Garrett. But, of course, they won’t be surprised if the Browns mess everything up once again.

4:28 p.m.

The lights are on for the red-carpet show. Even though it’s sunny for the first time in a week in Philly, that’s apparently not enough light for the TV cameras. Hopefully no one wears a suit that’s too shiny or someone might go blind.

5:06 p.m.

The NFL Draft red carpet show has only just started and fans are already tired of cheering when the camera pans over them. I don’t blame them. It’s hot and the sun is beating down on the concrete steps and metal bleachers.

There are only so many times a person can randomly cheer before they just give up and it seems like that threshold is about 12 cheers.

As this fan learned too late, sunscreen was a good idea today:

Rookie mistake, man.

5:11 p.m.

Not everyone is happy that the draft is in Philadelphia. This banner, which reads “City Hall (heart emoji) sports but hates our teachers,” for those of you who don’t have magnifying glasses handy, was attached to a plane flying in circles around the art museum before and during the red carpet show:

Why the angst? The teachers’ union has been battling for more than three years for a new contract. Previously, the union put its message on a billboard on I-95.

6:58 p.m.

Had to come back to the media room to charge my phone. The NFL Draft red carpet is no joke. I definitely have a new appreciation for what other red carpet reporters go through to land their interviews and get their footage. The Academy Awards must be a nightmare.

Hopefully no SEC football player ever wins an Oscar.

7:10 p.m.

Back out on the red carpet just in time to hear Nick Saban get booed by Philly fans:

He’s lucky they didn’t throw batteries or anything like that at him. This is the city, after all, where fans booed and threw snowballs at Santa Claus, after all.

There was a much warmer reaction to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who played along with the NFL social media group and did a trust fall into a ball pit that was part of the red carpet festivities for some reason:

It’s hard to imagine Saban participating in such nonsense.

7:15 p.m.

Jamal Adams says he won the best-dressed award at this year’s draft.

However, Cam Robinson was looking good in his suit, too.

Adams, the LSU safety, might have a slight edge, but give credit where credit is due to Robinson for forgoing the Crimson he’s worn the past few years for something a little different.

Derek Barnett was also wearing a suit that didn’t exactly go with his college color scheme. Check out his non-orange suit from Thursday night:

Tennessee coach Butch Jones walked down the red carpet shortly thereafter. No word on whether he called out his former star defensive end for his color choices.

7:18 p.m.

Too much walking around in dress shoes so far today. I’m glad I brought my sneakers to change into. My blistered heels will thank me tomorrow.

7:35 p.m.

Overheard in the media room: “So there are more prospects than draft picks?”

Just by a few … thousand. With only 253 picks in the seven rounds of the draft, the players selected this weekend would only fill out about three or four college rosters.

8:12 p.m.

After months of suspense, Myles Garrett goes No. 1 overall, like we all assumed, despite the Browns’ best efforts to hide their intentions.

Reaction from Browns fans down in the crowd was one of relief rather than joy. With talk of selecting hometown boy Mitchell Trubisky with the top pick, fans were expecting the worst from the embattled franchise.

8:52 p.m.

A Jets pick actually made Jets fans happy for once. Jamal Adams’ professional career is off to a good start.

9:47 p.m.

Adams isn’t going to have a problem with the intense New York media. He knows how to carry himself and won’t be intimidated.

In his post-draft press conference, the former LSU Tiger gave nothing but thoughtful, engaging answers on everything from his plans for his first paycheck to his eye-catching draft night suit.

The New York beat writers are going to love Adams.

10:00 p.m.

Two hours in and we’re not even halfway through the first round. The Colts just selected at No. 15 and didn’t pick an Alabama player.

Nobody has yet.

I wish I could get a look at Nick Saban’s face right now.

10:07 p.m.

Finally, the wait is over. With the 16th pick, Baltimore takes Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey. The SEC floodgates are about to open.

10:41 p.m.

Derek Barnett had the biggest post-draft press conference of any player, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since the draft is in Philly.

He said he was a little nervous when he found out the Eagles were picking him because he didn’t want the Philadelphia fans to boo him, but he got nothing but applause and cheers from the huge crowd. Donovan McNabb only wishes he could have been so lucky.

If Barnett follows in the footsteps of another famous Tennessee-to-Philadelphia star (Reggie White, whose sack record he broke in Knoxville), Eagles fans will continue cheering for him every chance they get.

10:52 p.m.

In one of the biggest surprises not related to a quarterback, the New York Giants select Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram with the No. 23 pick. Engram didn’t appear on many first-round mock drafts and wasn’t at the draft. He celebrated with friends and family back home in Georgia.

11:15 p.m.

One spot after Humphrey, Tide teammate Jonathan Allen is selected. During Allen’s press conference, one reporter asked the 2016 winner of both the Bednarik and Nagurski awards if he thought he could be efficient inside the tackles.

“Yes, I feel like I can be very efficient inside the tackles,” was Allen’s simple reply.

He showed great poise by not laughing at the question. His college coach (Saban) might have gone on one of his famous media rants if he was asked something like that.

11:41 p.m.

Reuben Foster, arguably the best linebacker in the draft, is taken at No. 31. He is the fourth Alabama player taken in the first round and 12th from the SEC. Eight of those picks came in the second half of the draft.

The SEC has one more chance to set the all-time draft record.

11:44 p.m.

And, with the Saints’ pick of OT Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin, the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft has come to a close — 3 hours and 44 minutes after it started.

Unfortunately for Alabama’s Cam Robinson, his name wasn’t called tonight. The good news is he probably won’t have to wait long Friday to find out where he’ll be playing on Sundays this fall.

12:06 a.m.

Though Jamal Adams played along Wednesday by saying that LSU is the real DBU, new Buffalo Bills CB Tre’Davious White wouldn’t take the bait in his post-draft press conference.

Perhaps the fact that the Bills employ former Florida CB Marcus Roberson and might be in a position to select Quincy Wilson or Teez Tabor in the coming rounds of this year’s draft caused White to avoid the question just minutes after midnight.

There will likely be plenty of trash talk in the Buffalo locker room as the college football season approaches, though. And, if White needs backup, Adams — a New York Jet — is only a short drive away.

12:22 a.m.

Finally getting ready to leave the media room and ride my bike back home. I live 1.5 miles from where the draft is being held, but will probably beat most people who are driving a shorter distance home.

Traffic in this city is no joke, and with road closures in the area due to the draft, it’s even crazier than normal.

Now I just have to hope my bike is still chained to the draft stage where I left it or I’m in for some long walks the next couple of nights.