Which draft analysts’ opinions do you trust most?

Everyone is an expert, right? A handful of analysts get a big platform to promote their opinions on college prospects and the NFL Draft. Even though some of these talking heads may frustrate football fan at times, they do provide a wealth of knowledge on hundreds of prospects every year.

Whether it’s primarily through social media or on the big sports television networks, fans have direct access to a number of different draft analysts. Sometimes they totally whiff on prospects, but they also mine out diamonds in the rough, but that’s all part of the process—for teams, fans and these pundits.

On this week’s Orange and Black Insider, Scott Schulze, Connor Howe and I talked about some of our go-to guys in the winter and spring months. Who are the ones you find the most reliable when it comes to draft analysis?

Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN: The veteran on the block, some loathe him and others greatly respect his opinion. He now shares the Worldwide Leader’s NFL Draft spotlight with Todd McShay, which has become interesting fodder for comedian Frank Caliendo. Regardless, he has been covering the annual festivities for 34 years and remains one of the most recognizable faces and voices in the draft.

Todd McShay, ESPN: When the young Canadian was brought in to analyze the draft for ESPN, some thought it meant the end of Kiper at the network. However, it has created an interesting dynamic with the two trading barbs often. While they sometimes agree, Kiper and McShay also have differing opinions—particularly when it comes to big-name rookies. McShay has a bit of a reputation as a guy who either hits home runs or totally whiffs when it comes mocks and analysis, but he is still a very respectable voice in the business.

Mike Mayock, NFL Network: As a response to the massive coverage ESPN has given the draft over the past couple of decades, the NFL Network needed to bring in their own expert. Mayock has a certain credibility that others don’t, as he actually played at the NFL level and was even rumored to be considered for the Redskins General Manager position this offseason (which could still happen after the draft). He doesn’t have the experience of Kiper, but has become one of the top names in the draft analysis business.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: Like ESPN, the NFL Network decided it needed multiple draft analysts, both for their website and telecasts. Jeremiah didn’t play in the NFL, but did play quarterback at the college level, as well as work as a pro scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles. His analysis is thorough and he seems to really cut his draft analysis teeth in players who are selected in days two and three.

Dane Brugler, CBS Sports: When looking at prospect rankings, particularly those very early in the process, many go to CBS Sports’ website to see how Brugler has them slated. CBS doesn’t telecast the draft as NFL Network and ESPN do, but he has been one of the big analysts in the draft game for quite some time.

Walter Football: Walter’s website started off as a pet project, but his insight ended up getting picked up by FOX as the audience grew. He is sometimes harsher on certain prospects than others, but frequently creates solid, multi-round mock drafts that start very early on in the pre-draft process.

Josh Norris, NBC and Rotoworld Sports: Norris has really catapulted himself as a draft expert in recent years—especially on social media. He is very creative with his content and regularly interacts with NFL fans on multiple platforms. Because he is part of the NBC Sports group, his content is also regularly featured on Pro Football Talk, in which drives a lot of traffic.

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: Miller has almost 175,000 followers on Twitter and for good reason. He frequently posts grades and rankings of prospects with extensive analysis and film study. He, along with Mike Freeman, are two of the most high-profile names at B/R.

Joe Goodberry, Bleacher Report/freelance: Though he doesn’t have the national platforms of these others, Goodberry is a respected draft voice on Twitter. He is a regular with James Rapien on ESPN 1430 Cincinnati, and though he focuses on all things Bengals, he is nationally-recognized for his organized approach to the draft. Norris, Brugler, Miller and many others (including employees at Pro Football Focus and NFL.com) follow him on Twitter for his insight. He’s also a NFL season contributor for Bleacher Report’s NFL1000 project.

Who is your go-to source for NFL Draft information?

You can listen to our draft analyst segment from The Orange & Black Insider on SoundCloud here.

If you can’t join the Orange and Black Insider live here at Cincy Jungle or on YouTube, you can still get our material on both platforms. You can also the audio portions by subscribing to our SoundCloud and iTunes accounts. You can also get in touch with us by email at theobinsider@gmail.com or on Twitter @BengalsOBI.