NFL Draft 2025: Mock simulator, expert opinions, and who to follow

The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as teams look to land their next big star from a deep pool of collegiate talent.

If the draft feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. With hundreds of college prospects, complex draft mechanics, and constant speculation about which teams are eyeing whom, it can be a lot to take in. Thankfully, draft coverage is practically its own industry. The NFL reigns supreme in American sports, and that means there’s no shortage of expert analysis, tools, and resources widely available online.

We’ve rounded up a few to help you navigate it all.

NFL mock drafts

Everyone and their second cousin has a mock draft these days, so knowing where to start can be overwhelming. But my personal favorite resource is The Ringer’s NFL Draft Guide, for a few reasons. First, I listen to their NFL podcasts and trust their coverage. Second, the guide is comprehensive. They have four different mock drafts from four of their experts (Danny Kelly, Diante Lee, Danny Heifetz, and Todd McShay), a big board, and a team need guide. And, finally, the Ringer’s NFL Draft page is wildly easy to use. It’s simple to navigate and allows you to dive deeper into every pick or player.

You can also find mock drafts at ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, or pretty much anywhere else online.

NFL Draft simulators

If you want to try your hand at a mock draft or a draft simulator, you can do that, too. ESPN has a simulator tool that’ll let you play out the dream of being your favorite team’s GM — so you watch the other teams pick and then make your selections for one franchise.

If you want to control every team — aka make your own mock draft — you can do so at NFL Mock Draft Database, which also has a comprehensive list of expert mock drafts.

NFL Draft expert opinions and who to follow online

Let me be clear: There are so, so, so many draft experts, and there is no way I know them all. But I do consider myself a bit of an NFL draft sicko and, thus, have my favorites. So here is a quick list, with their social media account linked, of some of my favorite follows for NFL Draft content:

• Ben Solak, ESPN

• Robert Mays, The Athletic

• Danny Kelly, The Ringer

• Mina Kimes, ESPN

• Danny Heifetz, The Ringer

• Diante Lee, The Ringer

• Dianna Russini, The Athletic

• Dane Brugler, The Athletic

• Charles McDonald, Yahoo

• Nate Tice, Yahoo

• Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

• Colleen Wolfe, NFL Network

• Peter Schrager, ESPN

The draft’s first round is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. It seems certain that Miami QB Cam Ward will go first overall to the Tennessee Titans. After that, who knows? But at least now you’ll be informed and prepared.