It happened again. I found myself staring at a screen filled with names like Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson, clicking "start draft" as if I could somehow change the course of NFL history.
Why am I doing this?
The draft ended a long time ago. CJ Stroud already proved he’s a superstar. Will Levis already had his "slide into the second round" moment. Yet, the mock draft 2023 simulator remains a digital rabbit hole that thousands of us can’t seem to quit. It’s not about predicting the future anymore; it’s about the "what if" scenarios that keep sports fans awake at night. Honestly, it’s basically a strategy game that lets you play God with a franchise's roster, and that high is hard to walk away from.
People use these tools for different reasons. Some want to see if they can build a better roster than the actual GMs did. Others are just junkies for the trade logic. Whether you're using PFF’s simulator, Pro Football Network, or the hyper-detailed Mock Draft Database, the pull is the same. It’s the thrill of the trade-down.
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The obsession with the mock draft 2023 simulator
The 2023 class was a weird one. You had a generational talent at running back in Bijan Robinson, which sparked a massive debate about "positional value" that still hasn't died down. You had four quarterbacks who were all essentially wild cards for different reasons. Bryce Young was too small. CJ Stroud had the S2 test rumors. Anthony Richardson was a physical freak with limited starts. Will Levis... well, he ate bananas with the peel on.
Using a mock draft 2023 simulator allows you to strip away the hindsight we have now. You can go back to that moment when the Panthers were on the clock. You can decide if you'd actually take the gamble on Young or if you'd see the Stroud vision from a mile away. Most people get this wrong when they look back—they think the "right" choice was obvious. It wasn't. The simulators capture that tension perfectly.
Why we can't stop playing GM
There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a "Grade: A+" pop up after you snag a falling prospect in the third round. It's dopamine in a spreadsheet. Sites like PFF (Pro Football Focus) popularized this by adding "draft grades" to their simulator experience. Suddenly, you weren't just picking players; you were being judged by an algorithm.
The realism varies wildly. Some simulators let you trade 2024 first-round picks like they're candy. Others are stingy. I remember trying to get the Houston Texans to give up pick number two in a mock draft 2023 simulator and having to offer my entire future just to move up one spot. It’s that friction that makes it feel real. You realize that GMs aren't just clicking names; they're navigating egos and value charts.
The Rise of the Community Mock
One thing the 2023 cycle did better than almost any other year was the community integration. You weren't just drafting against a computer. You were drafting against the "Big Board" which was a living, breathing consensus of thousands of other fans. This meant if Jaxon Smith-Njigba started falling in real life, he started falling in the simulators too.
- PFF Simulator: Known for its deep analytics and somewhat "strict" grading.
- PFN (Pro Football Network): Famous for its fast-paced UI and frequent trade offers.
- The Draft Network: Used to be the gold standard for scouting reports attached to the picks.
- NFL Mock Draft Database: The best for seeing where the "average" fan thinks a player should go.
The Stroud vs. Young Debate: Simulator Style
Let’s be real for a second. If you run a mock draft 2023 simulator today, you’re almost certainly picking CJ Stroud. But back in April 2023? The consensus was leaning heavily toward Bryce Young’s "processing" and "S2 scores."
The simulators at the time reflected this. Young was almost always the 1.01. If you managed to get Stroud to the Colts at four, it felt like a steal. Now, we know the Texans got a franchise-altering talent at two. Looking back through the lens of a simulator helps you understand the pressure those front offices were under. They didn't have the 2024 tape. They only had the 2023 potential.
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What most people get wrong about "Winning" a mock draft
Most fans think a successful simulator run is about getting the highest grade. It's not. Real drafting is about "clusters." You don't just need a tackle; you need to know if the gap between the top tackle and the third tackle is bigger than the gap between the top cornerback and the fourth cornerback.
I’ve spent hours trying to manipulate the board. You realize quickly that the mock draft 2023 simulator is a lesson in scarcity. If you wait on a tight end in that 2023 class, you might miss the Dalton Kincaid/Sam LaPorta tier and end up with someone who’s a career backup. The 2023 tight end class was historically deep, yet in simulators, they would fly off the board in the early second round.
The "Trade Down" Trap
We all do it. You’re sitting at pick 15, and a team offers you three second-round picks to move back ten spots. It looks great on paper. In a mock draft 2023 simulator, you can end up with 15 picks in one draft.
But here’s the reality: Roster spots are limited. In real life, you can't just bring 15 rookies into camp and expect them all to make the team. This is where the simulators diverge from reality. They reward volume. They don't account for the "human cost" of cutting a veteran leader to make room for a sixth-round flyer from a small school.
Realism vs. Fantasy
Some simulators are better at this than others. Some allow you to toggle "strictness" settings. If you turn the trade logic to "easy," you can basically acquire the entire first round of the 2023 draft. It’s fun for five minutes, then it’s boring. The real challenge—the thing that keeps the mock draft 2023 simulator relevant—is the struggle to find value when the board doesn't fall your way. When your top three targets are gone and you’re forced to reach for a need. That’s when the game starts.
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How to actually use a simulator for insight
If you’re still messing around with 2023 data, use it as a post-mortem tool.
- Look at the "Big Board" vs. Reality: See which players the simulators loved (like Nolan Smith) who ended up falling in the actual draft.
- Analyze Team Needs: Go back and look at what the Lions did. People trashed them for taking Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell. The simulators hated it. The grades were D+ or C. Yet, those players were cornerstones of a playoff run.
- Test the "Position Value" Theory: Try a draft where you ignore RBs and LBs until the late rounds. Compare that roster to one where you take the "best player available" regardless of position.
The lasting impact of the 2023 class
The 2023 draft will be studied for decades because of the quarterback results. It’s the ultimate cautionary tale for GMs. It proves that the "consensus" found in a mock draft 2023 simulator is often disconnected from the traits that actually lead to NFL success.
Stroud’s poise under pressure wasn't a stat that showed up in the simulation. Richardson’s raw upside was a "gamble" in the code, but a calculated risk in the film room. These tools are incredible for learning names and understanding the math of the draft, but they can't capture the "it" factor.
Actionable Next Steps for Draft Enthusiasts
If you want to move beyond just clicking buttons and actually get better at evaluating these classes, here is how you should approach your next session.
Stop focusing on the "A" grade. Instead, focus on roster construction. Use the mock draft 2023 simulator to try and fill specific holes while maintaining a strict "no-trade" rule. It forces you to make the hard decisions that real GMs face.
Next, compare your results to the actual 2023 NFL Draft results. Look at where the "steals" happened—like Puka Nacua in the fifth round—and see if your favorite simulator even had him on the radar. Usually, they didn't. This teaches you the most important lesson in football: the real draft starts when the "experts" stop talking and the scouts take over.
Go back into the settings, crank the difficulty to "Hard," and try to rebuild the Arizona Cardinals without trading away their future. You'll realize very quickly why Monti Ossenfort gets paid the big bucks.