Reading through countless mock drafts from top NFL analysts can get overwhelming. But here’s a twist: there’s a chance to create a personal mock draft using an NFL mock draft simulator. Numerous websites offer these tools.
Which simulator stands out as the best? This is the challenge at hand as six free mock draft simulators are put to the test to determine their value. Now, the spotlight turns to the first pick on the clock.
PFF.com
Pro Football Focus’ popularity has skyrocketed over recent years as they continue to provide NFL fans with some of the most in-depth information available. Their website has become even more valuable to NFL fans with the addition of their state-of-the-art mock draft simulator.
PFF’s mock draft simulator allows users to choose as many teams as they like. Users can also choose to do anywhere between one and seven rounds. You can also toggle the speed of the Draft and the variables that determine how the other CPU-automated teams select their picks.
Once you’re in the Draft, there’s a ton of information on every draft prospect, and you can ever offer trades throughout the Draft. Mocking the Jets and feeling like trading away the second-overall pick? No problem! Check out which teams are interested in a trade and send them an offer! And if they don’t like the trade, PFF gives you the option to force it through anyway.
However, don’t expect to receive any offers from other teams. PFF makes you do all the work regarding trading, which was one of the few cons we found with their simulator.
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When you finish drafting, find out how you did via PFF’s grading system. It offers a letter grade for each pick and an overall grade. If you’re looking for a mock draft that’s easy to navigate, informative, and comes with all the bells and whistles, PFF’s mock draft simulator is the one for you. Check out PFF’s mock draft simulator here.
ProFootballNetwork.com
Next up is PFN (not to be confused with the aforementioned PFF). Their state-of-the-art mock draft simulator is second to none.
For starters, you can select any number of teams and rounds, and there are three options for draft speed. The real fun begins once you’ve customized how you want your mock simulation to run. Throughout the Draft, you can expect to receive several trade offers before each of your picks.
You can also check out your team’s needs (as well as the needs of every other NFL team). And if you don’t like the trades that were proposed to you, don’t sweat it. You can always send a few offers of your own around the league.
When it comes time to make an actual draft selection, PFN has plenty of helpful notes. These include positives, negatives, and a final analysis for each player. The only downfall is that, at the time of writing (March 20, 2021), not all players’ notes were available. I assume that’ll change as we get closer to the Draft.
Another negative aspect of ProFootballNetwork’s otherwise impressive simulator is the lack of feedback after the Draft. But if you can overlook that, PFN’s got the good. You can check out PFN’s draft simulator here.
TheDraftNetwork
Like the previous two entries, The Draft Network’s simulator offers many of the same options: the ability to choose any number of teams and rounds and draft speed. In addition, TDN lets you choose one of two “big boards.”
Once you’re in the Draft, The Draft Network offers up valuable information on each player. Unfortunately, to get all the info — including player comps and draft grades — you’ll need to subscribe to their premium package (which will run you $9.99 per month of $29.99 for the year). Another thing you’ll need the premium package for is if want to make some in-draft trades.
For those who haven’t signed up for the premium package, there’s still a lot to like, including an easy-to-use layout and in-depth analysis for each prospect.
Once the Draft is complete, there’s a recap. But that’s about it. No grades. No final analysis. All in all, it’s a solid simulator that gets the job done. But if you don’t have premium access, this one is lacking compared to some of the other mock draft simulators we’ve come across. You can check out TheDraftNetwork’s simulator here.
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NFL Mock Draft Database
Regarding the number of pre-draft options you get to choose from, few other mock draft simulators can compete with what the NFL Mock Draft Database offers.
In addition to all the usual options we’ve mentioned, you can also choose to do a mock draft from previous years, all the way back to 2017! You can also choose the type of Draft you want (realistic, aggressive, or chaotic), as well as the level of strictness when it comes to trades.
Once you’re in the Draft, you’ll find a layout that’s easy to understand. You’ll also get trade options, but that’s about it. You must make the trades yourself, as other teams won’t offer them. And there’s not much player information.
Another thing we noticed is that when doing a mock draft from the past, opposing teams will still draft based on the pre-draft rankings at the time—not based on what we now know about the players. For example, if you’re doing a mock draft from 2017, don’t expect the Bears to learn from their mistake and take either Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson. Mitch Trubisky is still the first quarterback off the board in this mock.
And when you’re all done, all you get is a recap and the option to save your results. No grades. No analysis. And no real way of knowing how well or poorly you fared.
You can check out the NFL Mock Draft Database’s simulator here.
FanSpeak.com
You may notice a considerable drop off when using Fanspeak’s simulator compared to others we’ve already discussed. Not only do they allow you to choose one team to draft for, but you also need to purchase their upgrade to make trades and reduce the number of ads. It won’t break the bank at $9.95 or $19.95 for the year, depending on the package, but we could understand your desire not to pay for something other sites offer for free.
Once you’ve selected your options, it’s time to start mock drafting…and that’s where another problem arises: the speed of the Draft. Unfortunately for those who are a little starved on time, FanSpeak’s mock Draft moves at it’s own pace, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
There’s also not much in the way of player analysis. A link for some prospects takes you to a page with stats and random YouTube highlights. That’s about it, however — and it’s not even available for every player.
When you’re done drafting, you’ll get a round-up that lists the organizational needs you addressed. But that’s about it regarding post-draft grading and analysis, leaving a lot to be desired.
You can check out FanSpeak’s draft simulator here.
First-Pick.com
And finally, we get to first-pick.com’s entry into the mock draft simulator game. Full disclosure: this site holds a special little place in my heart as the first mock draft simulator I tried.
In terms of eye appeal, it’s probably at the bottom of the list among the simulators we’ve looked at. But First-pick.com makes up for its lack of fancy graphics in many areas.
For starters, you’ll have to create an account. But the good news is it’s FREE…and well worth it. Once you’re in, you’ll get to select your team (only one at a time), and you’re off. When you’re in the actual Draft, you can advance one pick at a time, advance five picks ahead, advance to your next pick, or offer up a trade to the team that’s currently on the board.
Once it’s your turn to pick, you can accept one of the trades being proposed to you, offer a new trade, or check out the available prospects, sorted by position or “best value remaining.”
What you won’t find, however, is any information on the available prospects. When you click a player’s name, a new tab will open with their Google search results.
When you finish drafting, you get a letter grade for each pick and a final score to see where you rank against other users.
It’s that competitive aspect of First-Pick.com that allows them to compete with the other simulators without all the top-notch visuals.
You can check out First-Pick.com’s simulator here.
Which NFL Mock Draft Simulator is the Best?
The answer to that question really depends on what you’re looking for. If excellent graphics and an easy-to-use interface are your biggest concern, I’d recommend one of PFF or ProFootballNetwork’s simulators. But if you’re just doing this to prove that your drafting skills are better than theirs, First-Pick.com is the simulator for you.
I recommend you give each of them a shot and go from there. It is drafting season, after all. So, the more mock drafts you do now, the better prepared you’ll be when it comes time to discuss with your buddies who your team should take in the upcoming NFL draft.
