Every cycle I do a comparison between the college players drafted in the first round of the NFL draft to where they were drafted in our PML drafts. I looked at the players, where and to whom they were drafted in PML and how much the player has progressed.
| Player | NFL Team/Draft Spot | PML Team/Draft Spot | PML Overall (Then and Now) |
| Bryce Young | Panthers – 1.1 | Saints – 1.2 | 77 > 81 |
| C.J. Stroud | Texans – 1.2 | Seahawks – 1.3 | 77 > 86 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | Texans – 1.3 | Dolphins – 1.4 | 83 > 94 |
| Anthony Richardson | Colts – 1.4 | Panthers – 1.1 | 73 > 89 |
| Devon Witherspoon | Seahawks – 1.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Paris Johnson Jr. | Cardinals – 1.6 | Jets – 1.13 | 73 > 82 |
| Tyree Wilson | Raiders – 1.7 | Undrafted | 64 > 77 |
| Bijan Robinson | Falcons – 1.8 | Titans – 1.10 | 78 > 89 |
| Jalen Carter | Eagles – 1.9 | Colts – 1.8 | 77 > 87 |
| Darnell Wright | Bears – 1.10 | Panthers – 6.21 | 67 > 78 |
| Peter Skoronski | Titans – 1.11 | Cowboys – 1.15 | 77 > 83 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Lions – 1.12 | Ravens – 3.4 | 74 > 87 |
| Lukas Van Ness | Packers – 1.13 | Buccaneers – 5.14 | 69 > 72 |
| Broderick Jones | Steelers – 1.14 | Browns – 7.7 | 70 > 74 |
| Will McDonald IV | Jets – 1.15 | Browns – 2.7 | 69 > 71 |
| Emmanuel Forbes | Commanders – 1.16 | Bengals – 5.4 | 69 > 83 |
| Christian Gonzalez | Patriots – 1.17 | Packers – 2.8 | 72 > 78 |
| Jack Campbell | Lions – 1.18 | Lions – 1.28 | 75 > 87 |
| Calijah Kancey | Buccaneers – 1.19 | Dolphins – 5.29 | 70 > 72 |
| Jaxon Smith Njigba | Seahawks – 1.20 | Titans – 1.29 | 75 > 84 |
| Quentin Johnston | Chargers – 1.21 | Bears – 1.17 | 71 > 82 |
| Zay Flowers | Ravens – 1.22 | Jaguars – 7.1 | 71 > 74 |
| Jordan Addison | Vikings – 1.23 | Ravens – 1.27 | 74 > 86 |
| Deonte Banks | Giants – 1.24 | N/A | N/A |
| Dalton Kincaid | Bills – 1.25 | Cardinals – 6.2 | 71 > 73 |
| Mazi Smith | Cowboys – 1.26 | Panthers – 2.30 | 69 > 79 |
| Anton Harrison | Jaguars – 1.27 | Bills – 5.22 | 66 > 73 |
| Myles Murphy | Bengals – 1.28 | Raiders – 1.16 | 75 > 85 |
| Bryan Bresee | Saints – 1.29 | Chargers – 1.6 | 76 > 82 |
| Nolan Smith | Eagles – 1.30 | Chargers – 1.26 | 75 > 80 |
| Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Chiefs – 1.31 | Cardinals – 7.12 | 73 > 78 |
Non-Created Players –
Devon Witherspoon and Deonte Banks were the only two players that were drafted in the first round that didn’t make it into any of our PML draft classes. Both corners were rated in the top 20 overall players in the 2023 draft class.
Highest Rated and Best Developed –
Will Anderson Jr. was the highest rated player drafted in the first round coming out of our season 2 PML draft class at an 83 overall and he had superstar development. He has X-factor development and is up to a 94 overall. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in what was a questionable 4-13 season. Since that 4-13 season, the Dolphins have gone 12-5, 9-8, and are currently 5-3. They have amassed three playoff victories in that span as well. Anderson has played 36 games and has 57 solo tackles, 20.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 1 touchdown.
PML Parity –
Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, and Anthony Richardson were drafted with the first four picks in the NFL draft and in the season 2 PML draft. CJ Stroud has had the most success out of the three quarterbacks in PML. Stroud has led his team to the playoffs, and has thrown for 10,790 yards, 79 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions. Anthony Richardson has missed the most games out of all three quarterbacks, but he has thrown for 7,180 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 67 interceptions. Richardson’s 2,018 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns sets him apart from the other quarterbacks. Bryce Young hasn’t quite found the success that he hoped for in PML. He has thrown for 10,498 yards, 65 touchdowns, and an astounding 103 interceptions. Bryce Young is the most pro-ready of all three quarterbacks in the NFL, so I think we are going to see more success with the Panthers than his virtual counterpart has had with the Saints.
