The On-The-Clock NFL Mock Draft Simulator puts you in control of an NFL franchise and lets you experience the draft exactly how you want it. From quick mock scenarios to deep, multi-round simulations with trades, team logic, and custom rankings.
This guide walks you step by step through how to use the simulator, explains key draft concepts like Big Boards, and highlights trade features available to Premium members.
Configure Page
Step 1: Select Your Team
The first step is choosing the NFL team you want to draft with. Once selected, you’ll draft from that team’s real draft position, complete with its current draft picks and roster-based team needs.
Step 2: Configure Your Draft
Before the draft begins, you’ll configure how the simulation behaves. This is where the tool excels and where understanding Big Boards really matters.
What Is a Big Board?
A Big Board is a ranked list of draft prospects, typically ordered from #1 through #300–400, regardless of position.
Big Boards are created by NFL draft analysts, scouting experts, and fan-driven consensus rankings. They represent overall prospect value, not team fit.
In the simulator, Big Boards are used to rank players, drive CPU decisions, and display player value throughout the draft.
Draft Configuration Options Explained
Number of Rounds
Choose how many rounds you want to simulate. The draft tracker and pick displays will only show the rounds you select, keeping the experience focused and fast.
Select Your Big Board
This Big Board determines how you evaluate players during the draft.
Select the CPU Big Board
This determines how the other 31 teams value players. Using a different CPU Big Board can dramatically change draft outcomes.
CPU Draft Preference
This controls how CPU teams make decisions.
Player Ranking prioritizes the highest-ranked player on the board, regardless of team needs, while Team Needs weighs roster needs more heavily, resulting in more realistic positional drafting.
Draft Speed
Adjust how quickly CPU teams make their selections. Faster speeds are great for quick simulations, while slower speeds allow for more strategic decision-making.
When everything is set, click “Let’s Draft!” to begin.
Premium Feature: Customize Your Big Board
Premium members unlock the ability to fully customize their Big Board.
Selecting “Customize Big Board” from the dropdown takes you to a separate page where you can reorder players however you like, create your own rankings, and build a board that reflects your personal evaluations.
Once saved, your custom board becomes selectable in the draft configuration screen.
Draft Page
Once the draft begins, the simulator is divided into several main sections designed to keep you informed and in control at all times.
Header & Call-to-Action Buttons
The header displays your selected team, team needs, pick order, and the Big Board being used.
The Start Round button must be clicked at the beginning of each round. Once a round begins, it continues until the final pick of that round is made.
The Propose Trade button allows you to initiate trades, a Premium feature.
If you see a player you want slipping, you must trade up before starting the round.
Draft Tracker
The Draft Tracker shows the current round, live pick results, which players each team has selected, each team’s remaining needs, and how many rounds remain.
This section helps you anticipate positional runs and avoid letting another team steal your target.
Available Players
This section displays all players still on the board, including each player’s name, position, ranking based on the selected Big Board, and school.
When it’s your turn to draft, the Draft button will light up. Filters at the top allow you to sort players by position.
Your Draft & Selected Players
The Your Draft section shows your upcoming picks by round and pick number. Picks beyond your selected number of rounds appear grayed out.
The Your Selected Players section tracks every player you’ve drafted so far and updates in real time.
Trades (Premium Feature)
Trades add another layer of realism and strategy to the simulator.
CPU teams may occasionally offer you trades, which you can accept or decline. You can also initiate a trade by selecting a team, offering draft picks, and requesting picks in return.
Complete Draft
Once your final pick is made, click “Finish Draft” to view your draft results.
From the summary page, you can review your full draft class, see the biggest surprises, identify major player slides, and instantly redraft using new settings.
Sharing and posting draft results are coming soon.
Final Thoughts
The On-The-Clock NFL Mock Draft Simulator is built for fans who want flexibility, realism, and control — whether you’re running quick scenarios or building long-term draft strategies.
Enjoy the simulator, and let us know if there are features you’d like to see next or improvements that would make the experience even better.