I challenged myself to create my own NFL team strictly thru the NFL draft. This is an ongoing process that started in 2019. The ultimate goal, just like any NFL franchise is to win a Super Bowl.

In order to have a team, I needed players. Over the first three years (2019–2021) I picked twice per round (picks 15 & 18; 7 rounds per year). On top of drafted players, I was able to pickup several UDFA (undrafted free agents).

After three years, I had enough players to simulate a season in Madden to see how good my team was (spoiler: not very) and where I would be picking. I ended up with the 3rd overall pick after going 3-14. With my first top 10 pick, I selected OT Evan Neal out of Alabama. Who would get picked by the New York Giants 4 picks later.

After my 4th and 5th draft, I started to have a clear picture of what my full team looked like.

An important part of being a good GM is the ability to analyze your team and look to improve everywhere. I frequently audit my team and add/remove players throughout the year. To keep better track of my best players, I established a “Full-time Starters” section to look at weak spots in my roster.

In the early years (1-4) I didn’t have the luxury of being picky when it comes to which players I keep or remove. This is due to final rosters being 53 players. Although I may have more players than that, I am limited to which of my players are in the game of Madden.

To get a glimpse at the current state of my team click this link to go to my Google Sheets spreadsheet. I update this on a weekly basis to reflect my team in its most current state.

With a project that is on-going it is hard to give a detailed reflection on the process as a whole. Mainly because it is still happening. Although I am going to be continuing this project for years (hopefully decades) to come, it’s been instrumental in my development as both a football fan and a designer.

‍This concept was started by Joe Goodberry. I’ve expanded upon it to match my interests. Many on NFL twitter also have their own unique teams and rules.

Problems that I ran into…
1. Knowing how to evaluate college football talent.
2. Balancing my love of this project with my other responsibilities.

How I pivoted…
1. Trusting proven evaluators who post their thoughts on YouTube, Twitter, etc. Use any resources that I can find to negate my lack of scouting experience.
2. Understanding that school, work, and my personal life comes first. At the end of the day this is simply a side project/hobby. I’ll be able to put more time into it during my gap year than when I am in the midst of working and finals. It will always be there to dive into once my time is freed up.