2027 NFL Mock Draft Simulator: Full Tutorial
The 2027 NFL Mock Draft Simulator is now live with the post-2026-draft data refresh. Every team's roster needs have been re-evaluated from the actual 2026 NFL Draft results, free-agency moves, and the latest post-draft analysis. The simulator puts you in control of any NFL franchise and lets you experience the 2027 draft exactly how you want it: quick one-round mocks, full seven-round simulations, live trades with the Jimmy Johnson chart, custom prospect big boards, and multi-team drafting for premium users. No signup required to start mocking.
What's new in the 2027 simulator
Last updated June 30, 2026.
- 2027 team needs are in. All 32 NFL teams have updated need weights for the 2027 draft cycle. Needs addressed in the 2026 NFL Draft (Spencer Fano to Cleveland, Mansoor Delane to Kansas City, Tyler Booker to Detroit, etc.) have been dialed back, and new gaps from 2026 free-agency departures have been added: Green Bay's edge crisis after the Micah Parsons ACL, Baltimore's center hole after Tyler Linderbaum left, Cincinnati's receiver depth concerns, and dozens more.
- 2027 prospect class is loaded. The early consensus 2027 big board (built from MDD, PFF, and the field's earliest evaluations) is the new default. Notes on each prospect, position rankings, and college affiliations all reflect the upcoming 2026 college season.
- Same engine, refreshed data. Trades, draft grades, randomness, draft variance, and CPU strategy modes all work exactly the same way they did for the 2026 cycle. If you ran 2026 mocks on this tool, the controls are identical.
How the Setup Works
Select Your Team
Click any NFL team logo to draft from that team's projected 2027 draft position. The simulator loads that franchise's 2027 picks, post-2026-draft roster needs, and the current pick order (including any trades the league has made since the 2026 draft). Premium users can select multiple teams and control them all in the same draft.
Team Needs
Every team carries a weighted list of positional needs, the roster holes it's most likely to draft for. Those weights do two things in the simulator: they steer how hard CPU teams chase each position (especially with the CPU Strategy slider leaning toward Needs), and they power the Needs Score half of your draft grade. The 2027 needs reflect the post-2026-draft rosters: positions filled in the 2026 NFL Draft are dialed back, and new gaps from free-agency departures and injuries are weighted up. You can review and customize every team's full 2027 needs on the Team Needs page.
Number of Rounds
Choose between 1 and 7 rounds. One round is great for quick scenarios. Seven rounds gives you the full NFL draft experience with late-round value picks and developmental prospects.
Big Boards
A Big Board is a ranked list of every 2027 draft prospect from #1 through the entire class, regardless of position. Your Big Board determines how players are ordered in the Available Players panel and how the simulator scores your picks. The 2027 boards in the dropdown include Fanspeak's own consensus, MDD's early 2027 rankings, and the PFF preseason board. Each one produces a different draft because prospect rankings vary across evaluators. Browse, open, and build boards on the Big Boards page.
CPU Strategy
The CPU Strategy slider sets how much CPU teams weigh roster needs versus the best player available. Slide toward BPA and teams chase the highest-ranked player regardless of need; slide toward Needs and they weigh roster holes heavily, producing realistic positional runs and letting prospects slide. Balanced sits in the middle, with Favor BPA and Favor Needs as the in-between steps.
Draft Speed
| Setting | Delay Between Picks |
|---|---|
| Slow | 2 seconds |
| Classic | 1 second |
| Fast | 0.5 seconds |
| Very Fast | 0.1 seconds |
Randomness
The Randomness slider controls how strictly CPU teams follow their draft logic. At Strict (0), teams follow rankings closely and drafts are predictable. At Chaotic (100), teams frequently deviate, creating wildly different outcomes every time.
| Randomness | Effect |
|---|---|
| 0 (Strict) | 50% stricter than baseline, highly repeatable |
| 30 (Default) | Balanced between realism and variety |
| 100 (Chaotic) | 67% looser, every draft is different |
Draft Variance
Draft Variance controls how many top-ranked players the CPU considers for each pick. A Tight pool means teams only look at the very best players available, resulting in chalk-like, predictable picks. A Wide pool lets teams look much deeper, allowing sleepers and surprises, especially in later rounds where real NFL teams are throwing darts.
The pool size also scales by round. Early first-round picks consider a small group of elite prospects, while rounds 5–7 open up dramatically to reflect how unpredictable late-round drafting really is.
| Setting | Pool Multiplier | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tight (0) | 0.5× | Only top prospects considered, very predictable |
| Default (50) | 1.0× | Balanced pool size per round |
| Wild Card (100) | 2.0× | Deep candidate pools, surprises in every round |
Computer Big Board
By default, CPU teams use the same Big Board you selected. With this setting you can assign them a different board, or set it to Random so each CPU team drafts from a randomly assigned analyst board. This creates realistic disagreement between teams on prospect rankings, leading to more varied and surprising drafts.
Trade Frequency
Controls how often CPU teams propose trades during the draft.
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Off | No trades, a straightforward draft with no deal-making |
| Normal | Occasional trade offers, mostly in rounds 1–3 |
| Aggressive | Frequent trade offers throughout the entire draft |
During the Draft
Draft Tracker
The Draft Tracker shows live results for the current round: which players each team selected, remaining team needs, and how many rounds are left. Use it to anticipate positional runs and decide whether your target will still be available.
Available Players
All players still on the board, ranked by your selected Big Board. Position filters let you narrow to specific positions. When it's your turn, click the Draft button next to any player to make your pick.
Controls
Start Round begins each round's auto-draft. Pause / Resume lets you stop and study the board mid-round. Propose Trade opens the trade interface for premium users.
Trades
Trades use the Jimmy Johnson Trade Value Chart, the same system NFL front offices reference for evaluating draft pick trades. Every pick has a point value, and trade packages must match or exceed the target pick's value.
CPU teams will occasionally offer to trade up to your position. Offers are most common in rounds 1 through 3 from teams picking 3 to 16 spots behind you. You can also initiate trades yourself: select the team, choose your picks to offer, and select which of their picks you want.
When CPU teams are weighing needs heavily, they require you to overpay by at least 100 chart points, simulating tougher negotiations. Premium users controlling multiple teams can trade between their own teams freely.
Draft Grades
After your final pick, your draft receives a letter grade from A+ to F based on two components:
Value Score
Measures whether you got good value with each pick. Drafting a player ranked higher than your pick position is a steal. Drafting a player ranked lower is a reach. Evaluated using the Jimmy Johnson chart.
Needs Score
Measures how well you addressed roster needs. Filling your #1 need earns full credit, while lower-priority needs earn progressively less due to exponential decay weighting.
| Score | Grade |
|---|---|
| 97+ | A+ |
| 93–96 | A |
| 90–92 | A- |
| 87–89 | B+ |
| 83–86 | B |
| 80–82 | B- |
| 77–79 | C+ |
| 73–76 | C |
| 70–72 | C- |
| 67–69 | D+ |
| 60–66 | D / D- |
| Below 60 | F |
Each pick also gets its own letter grade and breakdown showing slide delta, Jimmy Johnson chart value comparison, need priority, and overall pick quality.
Tips for Better Drafts
Watch for positional runs. If three cornerbacks go in a row, remaining CBs will slide. Use the Draft Tracker to spot trends and exploit them.
Trade before starting the round. Once the round starts, CPU picks happen fast. If you see a target slipping, trade up before clicking Start Round.
Lean the CPU Strategy slider toward Needs for realism. It creates realistic positional drafting with more trade-up opportunities than a BPA-leaning slider.
Adjust Randomness for variety. Increase randomness to see wildly different outcomes. Lower it for predictable, repeatable results.
Try different Big Boards. Switching boards dramatically changes which players are available at your pick. A player ranked #15 on one board might be #30 on another.
Use Redraft to iterate. Click Redraft after finishing to return to setup with your previous configuration loaded. Run the same setup multiple times and compare results.
2027 NFL Draft FAQ
When is the 2027 NFL Draft?
The 2027 NFL Draft is scheduled for late April 2027 in Washington, D.C. The simulator works year-round. Run as many 2027 mocks as you want before, during, and after the actual event.
How were the 2027 team needs determined?
Each team's 2027 needs start from Fanspeak's official 2026 needs board, then get re-weighted automatically based on what they actually drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. Positions filled in the first round drop near zero; later-round picks knock weights down proportionally. On top of that, external post-draft analysis (ESPN, Pro Football Network, PFF) is layered in to raise priorities where reporters flagged ongoing holes. A first-round QB pick doesn't always solve a QB problem if the rookie struggled.
Can I still run a 2026 NFL mock draft?
Yes. Switch the Draft Year dropdown at the top of the setup page back to 2026 and the simulator reloads the 2026 team needs, prospect class, and pick order. Useful for retroactively grading what teams did in the real 2026 draft.
Is the 2027 simulator free?
The base 2027 simulator (picking one team, running a full mock, using any official big board, and saving up to 3 of your own custom big boards) is free. Premium ("Ultimate GM") unlocks multi-team drafting, unlimited custom big boards, advanced trade tools, and an ad-free experience.
Does the simulator support trades for premium users in 2027?
Yes. Trades use the Jimmy Johnson chart and work identically to prior years. Premium users can initiate trades from the controls panel; CPU teams will also propose trades up to your slot, most commonly in rounds 1–3.
Which 2027 prospects are in the simulator?
The default 2027 big board carries the consensus top prospects from the upcoming college class. Boards update as the 2026 college season progresses. An early August re-seed is planned once preseason scouting reports drop. You can build your own boards from the full prospect pool too: free accounts save up to 3, Premium unlimited.