Mock Draft Mania: Using different simulators to generate 7 three-round projections for the Detroit Lions
Allen Park — As a young writer, doing a first-round mock draft was a thrill. As my career matured, they became a chore.
Some of the burden was my obsessive approach. I'd pore through local reporting for each team, learning about roster needs and drafting trends, attempting to slot the most logical prospect at each slot. From start to finish, producing a mock would take 8-12 hours. Of course, much of the audience I was writing for was skimming to get to the Detroit Lions' projection, reading those few paragraphs and moving on with their day.
Still, readership metrics on mock drafts were undeniable. My bosses would've happily taken a fresh projection every few weeks. We settled on three: One following the combine, another after free agency, with a final stab on the eve of the draft.
This year, I haven't done one. It's been refreshing, plus there are plenty of others who can fill that speculative void. I opted to invest my draft prep into different avenues, with a heavy emphasis on film. It wasn't necessarily better because it was still a massive amount of work put into a bunch of players who will never wear a Lions uniform, but ignoring the draft in the months leading up to the event was never an option.
And one thing about mock drafts, particularly those written early in the offseason, is they are a tool to familiarize yourself with the prospects, especially the top-tier talent likely to be selected in the first 50 or so picks. Not every NFL fan is a college football fan, so there's value to this introduction.
However, with the draft later this week, I was feeling a tinge of regret for not participating in the mock game. So here I am, with the finish line in sight, joining the race.
However, I'm doing things differently than I have in the past. No more reading up on the Colts, Commanders and Chargers. Instead, I'm keeping my focus firmly on the team I cover.
There are several mock draft simulators out there that allow me to do that. I've rounded up seven of them and took the following approach.
One run-through each with no re-dos
No trades
First three rounds only (I'm not crazy)
So, instead of one mock draft, here are seven. Included are the picks for Detroit at 28, 60 and 102, the other prospects I considered at each spot, and some thoughts on how things went for each. Enjoy.