The Best NFL Draft Web Sites of 2008

It’s time for our annual evaluation of the Best NFL Draft Web sites in the world. This is the 3rd year in a row we have done this and not only is it fun, but during our extensive review process we discover some very good NFL Draft sources. To be included, first the web site must be 100% free and then it must be a good established site with quality, accurate, well written NFL Draft content. This year as social networking has gained in popularity, I included two new sites that have vast potential. If you want to be included next years' evaluation send me an email.

1. Draft Countdown: One of the most aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand NFL and NFL Draft related websites on the web. Along with comprehensive profiles and up to date news, this could very easily be the best NFL Draft site on the web and is rated #1 for the 3rd consecutive year. Draft Countdown was the first NFL Draft Web site this year to come up with results from the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine. Scott Wright continues to be one of the most well respected Draftniks in the world and he seems to follow the quality over quantity concept.

2. The Football Expert: This site has come a long way and now has the look and feel of a great website. The Football Expert site is one of the easiest sites to navigate and presents the information in a clear format that’s very easy to read. One of the more attractive features of this site is it’s college football news section along with its mock draft database which holds several mock drafts from not only the writer’s on the site, but other Draftniks. For years, the owner, Michael Abromowitz has been one of the leaders and innovators of the NFL Draft phenomenon. Michael has taken the time to actually do a four round mock draft this year. Honestly, we (NFL Draft Dog) have trouble even keeping a two round mock updated.

3. Walter Football: Is a very comprehensive site with a lot of information on a variety of NFL Draft and NFL information. It’s almost information overload and it’s organized kind of helter skelter. Walter utilizes the opposite of Draft Countdown’s quality over quantity approach, now I am not saying his information is not quality, but there is so much stuff it might get diluted a bit. Heck they even cover horse racing? Walter lists players by position and gives out a huge amount of information. Another interesting aspect of this site is that he looks ahead at the prospects in the next year’s draft (2010 NFL Mock Draft). Keeping current is a great, but looking ahead is even better. The owner, Walter Cherepinski is a really nice guy and should be thought of as a brilliant Draftnik.

4. NFL Draft Dog: Draft Dog does an excellent job of maintaining strong NFL Draft coverage along with features and insight into the current status of the NFL and its teams. Its NFL Team Columns are kept up to date and it has expanded from just a few last year to 24 (NFL teams being covered) this year. They also have some of the best, most thorough scouting reports where multiple analysts comment on each prospect. Its' Draft Board, Top 100, and Mock Draft continues to be some of the most popular features of any draft site on the internet. Our Mock Draft Database isn’t the biggest and that’s not our goal, we try to screen every mock for inclusion and only include the very best. We are one of the first NFL Draft Sites every year to publish a 2010 NFL Mock Draft.

5. Football’s Future: A great domain and one of the most thorough NFL Draft websites on the internet, Football’s Future brings together the NFL Draft along with free agency news and review to help give fans a complete picture of the NFL offseason. This site’s best feature is its huge library of college player profiles along with positional rankings. Its navigation features make it one of the easiest sites to get around in and find information. It has a massive NFL Forum that is very active.

6. Great Blue North Report: The Great Blue North Report has been around for a long time providing its visitors with a wealth of good and timely NFL Draft information. Not only does the site offer detailed and extensive information on the NFL Draft but they also offer virtually up to the minute draft news along with player listings, rankings and draft history. This site is very easy to get around and provides some of the most accurate information online. These guys from Canada love updated draft news and I find myself checking their front page almost daily.

7. Draft Daddy: With one of the easiest websites to navigate within the realm NFL Draft websites, Draft Daddy has shown itself to be one of the most accurate and reliable NFL Draft website on the internet. This site features listings of players (ranked with ESPN stats) along with listings of free agents. The site’s best feature is its ranking system and linking back to the ESPN statistics which provides concise and up to the minute stats on all players listed. I also love the Draft Daddy Blog, where they have daily updated draft news and they aren’t afraid to link to other websites that have good news and information.

8. NFL Draft Source: A fairly new site, but Dan Brugler does a great job with it. I became a fan during the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine, as his Blog was one of the most updated sources on the internet. He has a full range of features that you would expect and a very clean streamlined web layout. He has a feature that I like called The Inbox, where fans can email him questions and he posts the answers online.

9. The Sideline Scouting Blog: A new comer this year, but as I look around the site I am impressed. It looks like it is operated by a guy named Pete Dymeck. They have tons of well laid out, updated NFL and NFL Draft news. Their Big Board has the top 25 players and includes some original entries. They have a very updated page on Free Agency and they even cover college football with a pre-season top 25 for the 2009 Season already up.

10. The War Room Report: With scouting reports that are very well thought out, very accurate and very easy to read along with its mock drafts and NFL draft historical data. Perhaps the most impressive part of the website is its set of prospect interviews. The site is also very simple to navigate and is updated on a regular basis. It hasn't been updated as much this year as in the past and as of this writing they don't have any Post NFL Scouting Combine Coverage.

10. My Gridiron Space: The 10th spot this year goes to a new site that I feel has a bright future. I give it high marks for innovation and fan interaction. It does have NFL Draft Coverage, but it’s much more than that. It’s kind of like a My Space for football fanatics and once it gets established I could see it really exploding. Social Networking Sites are huge these days and this site offers a ton of features for those that need a social fix and also those that need a football fix. That sounds like winning combination to me. Of course it has a forum, but members can also start their own blog, write articles, start their own group, and it has a live chat feature. You can post custom pictures on your page, add friends to your page and even send your friends a beer.

Bonus Pick: Twitwall: This isn't exactly a NFL Draft Web Site either, but it has enormous potential in not only keeping your family, friends and fans updated on what you are up to, but it can also be used to conduct a little amature blogging and also to promote your web site. I use My Twitwall to announce when I have made updates to my web site. It is an expansion of the very popular Twitter application.