Mock draft season: Players experts are taking (and...
Key takeaways
- As with any group of managers who draft against one another time after time, there is a certain familiarity that comes with the territory.
- And in the end, we have a uniquely ESPN expert APD encompassing the 185 players who were taken at least once during the exercise.
- Click on their name to jump directly to their roster and insights.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Illustration by ESPNMultiple Authors May 23, 2026, 08:45 AM ETEmail Print Open Extended Reactions In the weeks following the NFL draft, 10 ESPN analysts -- including all eight rankers -- participated in 10 fantasy football mock drafts held over three days.
As with any group of managers who draft against one another time after time, there is a certain familiarity that comes with the territory. This group knows that they're likely to take quarterbacks later than public sentiment might dictate. Certain analysts are known to have planted their flag on a certain player, or a well-known approach to rookies or veterans. They base their rankings on analytics, scouting, the news, and sometimes just follow a gut feel. That's why every mock draft is sightly different, and that's why we did it 10 times. Each analyst was given a chance to draft from every slot, first overall through 10th. Everyone had a chance to build a team around Bijan Robinson orJahmyr Gibbs and multiple chances to be aggressive on pursuing a certain angle, a certain position, even a certain player.
Trends emerged. Strategies were honed. Smack talk was exchanged. And in the end, we have a uniquely ESPN expert APD encompassing the 185 players who were taken at least once during the exercise. In the chart below you will find them sorted by their overall ADP, and where applicable, the name of the analyst that hit "draft" on that player most often, as well as the average pick at which they did, the "preferred ADP." Below that, you will find each analyst's roster of most-drafted players, and their insights in the form of answers to three questions tailored specifically to them and their teams.