Todd McShay Tops Mock Draft Rankings; Chris Simms Brings Up the Rear
A scoring system evaluated 50 mock drafts for the 2026 NFL Draft, revealing a clear winner and loser among prominent analysts.
The evaluation, which assigned points based on how many picks each selection was off, found that Todd McShay had the best mock, while Chris Simms had the worst. Mock trades that were incorrect incurred double penalties, adding a layer of complexity to the scoring.
Common themes emerged among the top drafts. Specific correct picks included David Bailey to the Jets at pick 2 and Olaivavega Ioane to the Ravens at pick 14. These two selections proved to be reliable starting points for successful mocks.
Jermod McCoy was a significant trap for many drafters. The cornerback was frequently and incorrectly projected as a first-round pick, despite being selected later in the actual draft. Analysts who projected McCoy highly saw their scores suffer accordingly.
The table below provides a detailed breakdown of each drafter, including their total score, number of correct picks, and other key metrics.
Drafter Total Score Correct Picks First-Round Picks Included Mocked Ty Simpson Trade? Mocked Jermod McCoy? Worst Non-Simpson/McCoy Pick Score for First 10 Picks Score for Last 10 Picks ...data continues...Key data points for each drafter include:
- Their worst non-Simpson, non-McCoy pick
- Scores for the first and last 10 picks
- Whether they mocked a Ty Simpson trade
- Whether they mocked Jermod McCoy
The scoring system clearly penalized incorrect projections, particularly for high-profile, widely-mocked prospects like Jermod McCoy.