In our Multi-Media class, we decided to do an 8-man NFL draft using a wheel of teams. Then, after the draft was over, I spent time researching to find each team’s strengths, weaknesses, defensive rankings, award winners, and much more. Then, I put it all into ChatGPT to see not only how they’d rank each team with the data provided as well as its own knowledge, but also how they’d expect a realistic playoff simulation to go, including simulated player statistics, scores, and player of the games. Here’s how it went.

Draft Recap (Snake Format)

1st Pick- Parker: QB Caleb Williams, RB Bijan Robinson, WR1 Tyreek Hill, WR2 Jayden Higgins, TE TJ Hockenson, FLEX Zay Flowers, DEFENSE Washington Commanders, HEAD COACH Klint Kubiak

STRENGTHS: QB, RB (4TH IN OPOY), WR1

WEAKNESSES: WR2

DEFENSE: 28TH PASS, 30TH RUSH, T-12TH SACK, T-15TH FF, T-25TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: LB Bobby Wagner

2nd Pick- Zain: QB Jaxson Dart, RB Derrick Henry, WR1 Terry McLaurin, WR2 Xavier Worthy, TE Kyle Pitts Sr, FLEX Cade Stover, DEFENSE Detroit Lions, HEAD COACH Liam Cohen

STRENGTHS: RB, TE, HC (2ND IN COTY)

WEAKNESSES: QB, FLEX 

DEFENSE: 21ST PASS, 14TH RUSH, 4TH SACK, T-3RD FF, T-11TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: LE Aidan Hutchinson

3rd Pick- Jacob: QB Matthew Stafford, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR1 Amon-Ra St Brown, WR2 Wandale Robinson, TE Travis Kelce, FLEX Saquon Barkley, DEFENSE Minnesota Vikings, HEAD COACH Scott Meyer

STRENGTHS: QB (MVP), RB, WR1, FLEX

WEAKNESSES: WR2, HC

DEFENSE: 2ND PASS, 21ST RUSH, T-4TH SACK, 1ST FF, T-25TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: DT Jonathan Allen

4th Pick- Arnav: QB Josh Allen, RB RJ Harvey, WR1 Puka Nacua, WR2 George Pickens, TE Josh Oliver, FLEX Stefon Diggs, DEFENSE Houston Texans, HEAD COACH Andy Reid

STRENGTHS: QB (3RD IN MVP), WR1 (3RD IN OPOY), WR2, HC

WEAKNESSES: RB, TE

DEFENSE: 7TH PASS, 4TH RUSH, T-7TH SACK, T-5TH FF, T-3RD INT 

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: LB Will Anderson Jr (2ND IN DPOY)

5th Pick- Espen: QB Drake Maye, RB James Cook, WR1 Garrett Wilson, WR2 Jaylen Waddle, TE Dalton Schultz, FLEX Mike Evans, DEFENSE Dallas Cowboys, HEAD COACH Ben Johnson

STRENGTHS: QB (2ND IN MVP, 5TH IN OPOY), RB, WR2, HC (4TH IN COTY)

WEAKNESSES: TE

DEFENSE: 32ND PASS, 23RD RUSH, T-22ND SACK, T-15TH FF, T-29TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: DT Quinnen Williams

6th Pick- Chase: QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Chase Brown, WR1 Justin Jefferson, WR2 Jakobi Meyers, TE Hunter Henry, FLEX Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DEFENSE Indianapolis Colts, HEAD COACH Kevin O’Connell

STRENGTHS: QB, WR1, FLEX (OPOY)

WEAKNESSES: WR2

DEFENSE: 31ST PASS, 7TH RUSH, 15TH SACK, T-21ST FF, T-10TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: DT DeForest Buckner

7th Pick- Maddox: QB Joe Burrow, RB De’Andre Swift, WR1 Malik Nabers, WR2 Jameson Williams, TE Mark Andrews, FLEX Tony Pollard, DEFENSE Los Angeles Chargers, HEAD COACH Aaron Glenn

STRENGTHS: QB, WR1

WEAKNESSES: HC

DEFENSE: 4TH PASS, 8TH RUSH, T-10TH SACK, T-21ST FF, T-3RD INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: DT Quinnen Williams

8th Pick- Cameron: QB Jayden Daniels, RB Breece Hall, WR1 Chris Olave, WR2 Jordan Addison, TE Noah Gray, FLEX Christian McCaffrey, DEFENSE New England Patriots, HEAD COACH Jesse Minter

STRENGTHS: QB, FLEX (4TH IN MVP VOTING, 2ND IN OPOY VOTING)

WEAKNESSES: TE

DEFENSE: 9TH PASS, 6TH RUSH, T-22ND SACK, T-21ST FF, T-18TH INT

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: CB Christian Gonzalez

ChatGPT’s Rankings, Ratings, and full Playoff Simulation

Seeding

1. Jacob (GIVEN 97/100)
2. Chase (GIVEN 96/100)
3. Arnav (GIVEN 93/100)
4. Espen (GIVEN 91/100)
5. Parker (GIVEN 89/100)
6. Maddox (GIVEN 85/100)
7. Zain (GIVEN 80/100)
8. Cameron (GIVEN 76/100)

WILD CARD ROUND

(1) Jacob vs (8) Cameron

Score: Jacob 28 — Cameron 19
Player of the Game: Amon‑Ra St. Brown

Jacob’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Matthew Stafford — 32/48, 360 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Saquon Barkley — 14 car, 85 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Amon‑Ra St. Brown — 8 rec, 110 yds, 2 TD; Travis Kelce — 6 rec, 78 yds, 1 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Cameron’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Jayden Daniels — 21/34, 242 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Christian McCaffrey — 16 car, 95 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Chris Olave — 7 rec, 85 yds; Jordan Addison — 5 rec, 70 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 1 sack, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Game Summary: Amon‑Ra St. Brown makes clutch catches and Stafford delivers in key moments; Cameron stays competitive but cannot keep pace.

(2) Chase vs (7) Zain

Score: Chase 31 — Zain 27
Player of the Game: Justin Jefferson

Chase’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Patrick Mahomes — 33/49, 380 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Chase Brown — 15 car, 90 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Justin Jefferson — 8 rec, 150 yds, 2 TD; Jaxon Smith‑Njigba — 7 rec, 125 yds, 1 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Zain’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Jaxson Dart — 24/37, 288 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Derrick Henry — 21 car, 113 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Kyle Pitts — 7 rec, 95 yds, 1 TD; Terry McLaurin — 6 rec, 85 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Game Summary: Justin Jefferson and Smith‑Njigba dominate downfield; Mahomes’ plays are the difference despite Henry keeping Zain close.

(3) Arnav vs (6) Maddox

Score: Arnav 29 — Maddox 24
Player of the Game: George Pickens

Arnav’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Josh Allen — 31/45, 350 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: RJ Harvey — 15 car, 78 yds 
• Lead Receivers: George Pickens — 8 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD; Puka Nacua — 7 rec, 92 yds, 1 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Maddox’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Joe Burrow — 29/44, 312 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: De’Andre Swift — 17 car, 88 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Malik Nabers — 8 rec, 115 yds, 1 TD; Mark Andrews — 6 rec, 82 yds, 1 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Game Summary: George Pickens and Puka Nacua win critical battles against the Chargers’ secondary; Arnav edges Maddox late with Allen’s precise throws.

(4) Parker vs (5) Espen

Score: Parker 27 — Espen 24
Player of the Game: Tyreek Hill

Parker’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Caleb Williams — 27/39, 302 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Bijan Robinson — 17 car, 92 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Tyreek Hill — 8 rec, 118 yds, 1 TD; Zay Flowers — 6 rec, 70 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Espen’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Drake Maye — 28/44, 318 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: James Cook — 15 car, 90 yds 
• Lead Receivers: Garrett Wilson — 7 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD; Mike Evans — 5 rec, 88 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 1 sack, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Game Summary: Tyreek Hill’s speed creates key separation; Caleb Williams delivers late touchdowns to beat Espen in a close matchup.

DIVISIONAL ROUND

(1) Jacob vs (4) Parker

Score: Jacob 31 — Parker 28
Player of the Game: Matthew Stafford

Jacob’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Matthew Stafford — 34/50, 372 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Saquon Barkley — 15 car, 88 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Amon‑Ra St. Brown — 9 rec, 115 yds, 2 TD; Travis Kelce — 6 rec, 78 yds, 1 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Parker’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Caleb Williams — 28/42, 298 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Bijan Robinson — 18 car, 97 yds 
• Lead Receivers: Tyreek Hill — 7 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD; Zay Flowers — 6 rec, 75 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Game Summary: Jacob’s balanced passing attack with St. Brown and Kelce secures a late lead; Parker stays competitive but comes up short.

(2) Chase vs (3) Arnav

Score: Chase 34 — Arnav 30
Player of the Game: Jaxon Smith‑Njigba

Chase’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Patrick Mahomes — 36/52, 395 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Chase Brown — 15 car, 92 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Jaxon Smith‑Njigba — 9 rec, 142 yds, 1 TD; Justin Jefferson — 8 rec, 148 yds, 2 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Arnav’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Josh Allen — 33/47, 358 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: RJ Harvey — 14 car, 75 yds 
• Lead Receivers: Puka Nacua — 8 rec, 118 yds, 1 TD; George Pickens — 7 rec, 97 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Game Summary: Chase’s WR duo outperforms Arnav’s coverage in key moments; Mahomes executes a late drive to win.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

(1) Jacob vs (2) Chase

Score: Jacob 34 — Chase 31
Player of the Game: Matthew Stafford

Jacob’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Stafford — 36/52, 395 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Saquon Barkley — 16 car, 92 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Amon‑Ra St. Brown — 8 rec, 110 yds, 1 TD; Travis Kelce — 6 rec, 70 yds, 2 TD 
• Key Defensive Stats: 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF 

Chase’s stat leaders:

• Lead Passer: Mahomes — 35/51, 388 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT 
• Lead Rusher: Chase Brown — 15 car, 85 yds, 1 TD 
• Lead Receivers: Justin Jefferson — 10 rec, 155 yds, 2 TD; Jaxon Smith‑Njigba — 8 rec, 105 yds 
• Key Defensive Stats: 2 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF 

Game Summary: Jacob’s passing balance wins the day; Chase stays competitive, but Stafford and St. Brown deliver the final drive.

🏆 Champion: Jacob

Runner-Up: Chase
3rd Place: Arnav
4th Place: Parker
5th Place: Espen
6th Place: Maddox
7th Place: Zain
8th Place: Cameron

🌟 Overall Best/Worst Playoff Performances

Best Playoff Player (All Games):

• Amon‑Ra St. Brown (Jacob WR1) — 44 rec, 565 yds, 6 TD 

Worst Playoff Player (All Games):

Jaylen Waddle (Espen WR2) — 4 rec, 28 yds, 0 TD, 5 drops, 1 fumble lost

Final Thoughts

I honestly believe that ChatGPT did a very good job of representing these teams. I felt like the key players were represented well in its post-game statistics which is exactly what I wanted and I also think that its team rankings were pretty accurate for the most part. My only complaint is that it felt like they didn’t weigh in defensive ratings as much as they should’ve. For example, teams with good running backs should’ve been able to run all over defenses with bad rush defense. Teams with good cornerbacks should’ve been locking up receivers. This was my one major concern. Overall, this was a fun experiment and I look forward to seeing what the future of Artificial Intelligence has in store for us.