Who Has The Best NFL Mock Drafts?

We take a look at who has the best NFL mock drafts for the upcoming season.

ESPN

ESPN NFL Mock Drafts are the best in the business. They are always up to date and always have the most accurate information. ESPN also does a great job of analyzing each pick and giving you the reasoning behind it.

Mel Kiper Jr.

As the NFL draft approaches, various experts release their mock drafts and predictions for who will go where. One of the most respected voices in the draft community is ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., whose annual mock drafts are closely followed by fans and analysts alike.

Kiper’s latest mock draft, released on April 25th, has four quarterbacks going in the top ten picks. He has the Houston Texans selecting South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick, followed by the St. Louis Rams taking Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson second.

At third overall, Kiper has the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. He has the Cleveland Browns taking Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles at fourth overall, and the Oakland Raiders rounding out the top five with Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

In recent years, Kiper has been one of the most accurate mock drafters in the business. In 2013, he correctly predicted eight of the top ten picks in the first round, and in 2012 he correctly predicted six of the top ten. With his track record of success, Kiper’s latest mock draft is sure to be one of the most closely watched in the lead up to this year’s NFL draft.

Todd McShay

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay is widely considered to be one of the best in the business. He’s been working in the NFL draft industry for over a decade, and his opinion carries a lot of weight.

McShay’s Mock Draft 2.0 was released on Wednesday, and it features some major changes from his first mock draft. Perhaps the biggest change is that he has the Cleveland Browns selecting USC quarterback Sam Darnold with the No. 1 overall pick.

In his first mock draft, McShay had the Browns taking Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen first overall. But after doing more research and talking to more people around the NFL, McShay has decided that Darnold is the better prospect.

“I just think that, when you really start to dig in on the quarterbacks and you talk to people around the league … I think people are really high on Darnold,” McShay said on a conference call with reporters. “I think they believe that he has a chance to be special.”

McShay isn’t the only one who has changed his mind on who should be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote in his latest mock draft that he also now believes Darnold should be the top pick.

CBS Sports

Will Brinson

Will Brinson has been a senior writer for CBS Sports since 2010, covering the NFL and college football. His work has also appeared in SI.com, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal and GQ. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two children.

Ryan Wilson

Ryan Wilson is a senior NFL writer for CBS Sports. In addition to his work at CBS, Ryan is also a contributing writer for the Athletic. He has been covering the NFL and NFL Draft for more than a decade.

Wilson’s mock draft was first published on January 28, 2021.

Bleacher Report

Matt Miller

Matt Miller is a Bleacher Report NFL draft analyst and he’s one of the best in the business. He’s been writing mock drafts since 2011 and he’s had a first-rounder correct in each of the last three years.

This year, Miller has the Arizona Cardinals selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick. He has the San Francisco 49ers taking Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa with the second pick and the New York Jets selecting Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams with the third pick.

Miller also has an interesting mock draft for the New England Patriots, as he has them selecting Michigan edge rusher Rashan Gary with the 32nd overall pick. Gary is a 6’5″, 277-pounder who had 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss last season.

Dan Pompei

Dan Pompei has been a Chicago Bears beat writer for the Chicago Tribune and Knight-Ridder Newspapers, and is currently a sports columnist for bleacherreport.com.

NFL.com

NFL.com has the best NFL Mock Drafts because they provide the most comprehensive analysis and commentary for each pick. They also have a lot of different experts contribute to their mock drafts, so you can get a variety of opinions.

Bucky Brooks

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State: The Bucs need a face of the franchise and Winston has all of the tangibles and intangibles to develop into a franchise quarterback.

2. Tennessee Titans — Leonard Williams, DT, USC: The Titans need to continue to add blue-chip players to their defense. Williams’ physicality and versatility make him an ideal fit as a 3-4 defensive end in Dick LeBeau’s scheme.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars — Dante Fowler, DE, Florida: The Jags need an impact player off the edge to spark their defense. Fowler is an electric pass rusher with the first-step quickness and speed to wreak havoc in offensive backfields.

4. Oakland Raiders — Kevin White, WR, West Virginia: The Raiders need a No. 1 receiver for Derek Carr’s future plans. White is a talented playmaker with size, speed and strength that makes him an ideal WR1 in any offensive scheme.

Charles Davis

Davis has worked as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports since 2006, appearing on a variety of shows including “Fox NFL Sunday,” “NFL Total Access” and “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” He’s also contributed to FOXSports.com and FOX Sports Radio. Prior to joining FOX Sports, Davis spent two seasons as a color analyst for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers radio network.

In 2013, Davis was named one of the Top 100 NFL Analysts by The Sporting News.