NFL NextGen Stats Launches Adaptive Draft Website for Live Draft Updates

The NFL NextGen Stats team has launched a new draft website that adapts to each move made during the draft, providing a dynamic and engaging experience for fans. The site includes team-by-team pages, mock draft trackers, and historic tendencies for each general manager. It was created in under three weeks using Amazon QuickSight and aims to be the ideal second screen during the draft.

The NFL NextGen Stats team has introduced a new, interactive website designed to enhance the draft experience for fans. The site, known as Draft IQ, adapts seamlessly with each move made before or during the draft, providing a dynamic and engaging experience. It was created in under three weeks using Amazon QuickSight, building upon the team's work with Combine IQ.

Draft IQ includes team-by-team pages that list each team's picks in the next two drafts, moves made in the offseason, potential draft targets for each day, a mock draft tracker, and historic tendencies for each general manager. The site aims to be the ideal second screen during the draft, starting Thursday night.

Mike Band, the senior manager for research and analytics at NFL NextGen Stats, explained the motivation behind the site: "The draft magazine was so efficient at displaying information in an easy-to-digest way. As we've optimized for mobile experiences, we've lost that art of a dashboard-like experience. This project was an effort to create a digital magazine that could be updated live and evolve dynamically."

The site is particularly notable for its real-time updates based on who's left on the board and what needs have been met. Band has been posting potential first-round targets for teams for the past six years, with about three-quarters of the teams taking one of his targets. The team pages include tendencies for general managers, such as how often they trade up or down, target certain positions in prime rounds, and have patterns based on size, age, or other attributes.

For example, Houston's Nick Caserio has used 31 of his 32 picks on players from power conferences, while the Bengals tend to select from power conference schools. Philadelphia's Howie Roseman has focused on drafting trenches, and Detroit's Brad Holmes' picks have the highest average athleticism score since he took over in 2021.

The site is designed to help fans anticipate the next pick and sound knowledgeable at NFL draft parties. "If you want to know who the last few picks were, you can go to the draft tracker on NFL.com," Band said. "But if you want to go deeper into every pick as it’s happening and try to anticipate the next pick, then follow along with Draft IQ."

References:
[1] https://apnews.com/article/nfl-draft-bbca37ed169f0bd3112eb28ec1f4d007
[2] https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/nfl-nextgen-stats-team-unveils-new-draft-website-20287911.php