You’ve seen the screenshots. Every spring, Twitter—or X, or whatever we’re calling it this week—gets absolutely flooded with draft "grades" that look like a middle school report card. People are out here landing three first-round picks for a backup punter and a 2027 fourth-round selection. It’s chaos. But if you’re actually trying to understand how the pff mock draft sim works, you have to look past the "A+" screens and see the engine under the hood.
It’s addictive. Honestly, I’ve spent more hours than I’d like to admit trying to fix the New York Jets' roster using this thing. There is a specific kind of dopamine hit when you see Fernando Mendoza sliding down to your pick, even when you know deep down the Raiders would never let a Heisman winner pass them by at number one.
The Math Behind the Madness
The big question everyone asks is why the PFF simulator feels different from something like Draft Network or PFN. Basically, it’s about the data. Most sims use a basic "consensus" big board. PFF uses their own proprietary grading system, which is why you’ll see guys like Arvell Reese or Dante Moore ranked significantly higher or lower than they are on ESPN.
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They use a metric called Wins Above Replacement (WAR). It’s a concept borrowed from baseball, but applied to the gridiron. When the sim makes a pick for the CPU, it isn't just looking at a "Need" checklist. It's looking at positional value. That is why the AI is obsessed with taking a tackle or a corner even if your team already has decent starters. In the eyes of the PFF algorithm, a great edge rusher is almost always worth more than a "safe" interior linebacker.
Sentence lengths vary because the draft itself is erratic. One minute you're waiting. The next, a trade offer pops up that changes your entire strategy.
Why the Trade Logic Feels Weird Sometimes
Let's talk about the trades. We've all been there. You offer a 2027 second-rounder and a depth wide receiver, and suddenly you're moving up ten spots in the first round.
Is it realistic? Not always.
PFF tries to model their trade logic on historical draft capital charts—think Jimmy Johnson or Rich Hill. However, the AI sometimes struggles to account for "QB desperation." In the real NFL, if a team needs a guy like Fernando Mendoza, they’ll give up their entire future. In the pff mock draft sim, you can occasionally "game" the system by stacking mid-round picks that the computer overvalues.
PFF Mock Draft Sim vs. Reality
There is a massive divide between what PFF thinks a player is worth and what NFL GMs think. This is the "E-E-A-T" factor—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. PFF's analysts, like Trevor Sikkema, are brilliant, but they grade based on film and production. GMs often draft based on traits: arm strength, wingspan, and 40-times.
- PFF's Bias: High-graded college performers.
- NFL's Bias: High-ceiling athletes with "tools."
This is why you’ll see a guy with a 90.0 PFF grade available in the second round of the sim, while in the real world, he might go top ten because he’s 6'6" and runs a 4.4. If you want a "realistic" draft, you actually have to turn the "Randomness" slider up. PFF added this feature a while back, and it’s the only way to stop the sim from being too predictable.
Customizing Your Experience
You aren't stuck with the PFF Big Board. That’s a common misconception. You can actually toggle between the PFF rankings and a "Public" board. This is huge. If you use the public board, the AI picks more like the "consensus" media. If you stay on the PFF board, you’re drafting in a world where efficiency stats reign supreme.
I personally like to set the "Team Care" slider to high. It forces the CPU to actually look at their roster before drafting their fifth consecutive wide receiver. It’s still not perfect, but it’s miles ahead of where these simulators were five years ago.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Sim
If you're just clicking "Draft" on the highest-ranked player, you're doing it wrong. To really use the pff mock draft sim like a pro, you need to look at the "Draft Trends" tab. It shows you the percentage of times a player is taken by a specific team.
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For example, if you see that Jeremiyah Love is being taken by the Chiefs in 40% of simulations, you know that's a "hot" spot. You can use that info to decide if you need to trade up or if you can wait.
Also, don't ignore the "Fantasy Football" toggle. Most people use the sim for the NFL Draft, but PFF also has a version for fantasy mocks. It syncs with platforms like Sleeper and ESPN. It’s a different beast entirely because it factors in ADP (Average Draft Position) rather than scout grades.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Mock
Don't just draft. Strategize.
First, decide on your "Trade Aggression." If you want a realistic experience, keep it low. If you want to see what a "God Tier" roster looks like, crank it up and trade back three times to stockpile picks.
Second, pay attention to the "Position Value" toggle. If you turn this up, the AI will reach for QBs and Tackles. If you turn it down, you'll see more "steals" at RB and Safety.
Lastly, check the "Team Needs" before you start. PFF updates these based on free agency moves. If your team just signed a massive contract for a veteran guard, the sim will (usually) stop mocking you guards in the first round.
To get the best results, try running a 7-round mock with the "Randomness" set to 3 or 4. It breaks the "perfection" of the algorithm and creates those weird, "I can't believe he's still available" moments that make the actual NFL Draft so stressful.
Go ahead and try a draft where you only pick players with a PFF grade above 85.0. You’ll find that your team "grade" at the end is almost always higher, even if the "fits" feel a little wonky. It’s a game of value, and in the PFF world, value is everything.