The Beast Is Back: The Athletic Expands Access To Industry-Leading NFL Draft Guide

Today, The Athletic unleashes The Beast — the industry-leading draft guide relied upon by scouts, agents, and NFL GMs — now available to give fans the same edge on draft night and the undrafted free agency frenzy that follows.

The Beast is the result of a year spent reviewing tape, scouting prospects, collecting data and conducting deep reporting to deliver fans the ultimate guide to the 2026 NFL Draft. What began in a college dorm room in 2005 is now in its eighth year at The Athletic and has grown into the undisputed king of draft season.

In 2026, The Athletic is expanding how fans can experience The Beast and engage with The Athletic’s extensive football newsroom during draft season with unbridled access to the draft guide online, speciality access in print, AMAs on Reddit with The Athletic’s football experts throughout draft season and live fan experiences with football legends to ensure all tough draft questions have answers before the first pick on April 23.

Starting today, The Athletic subscribers can access all 2000+ prospect rankings, 400+ deep dive player profiles, brand-new video analysis, enhanced sorting features and the old-school 500+ page print-ready pdf of The Beast at theathletic.com/thebeast. To celebrate the launch, The Athletic is hosting a one-day sale for new subscribers.

From April 9, the interactive version of The Beast will be available for any fan to access throughout Draft season via The Athletic app. Fans can explore prospects by college, position, team fit and more, making it easier than ever to personalize and follow their team’s draft journey.

“It is humbling to see how much The Beast has grown and improved every year. But regardless, it will always be a passion project that strives to be the most comprehensive and detailed NFL Draft resource available. A lot of talented people helped make this year’s version even better,” said Dane.

Draft season isn’t just about rankings, it’s about building your own take. This year, The Athletic is taking The Beast on the road, delivering it directly to fans in three football-obsessed cities — New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh — alongside The Athletic’s newsroom insiders and local football legends.

Each city will host a fan-led activation built around one thing: getting real answers to the tough questions ahead of draft night. Fans can join live conversations with The Athletic’s expert reporters — alongside Justin Tuck in New York, Matt Forte in Chicago, and Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh — to break down the hottest takes, and boldest predictions on the road to the NFL draft.

“Hearing your name called on draft night is something you never forget — but an even better feeling is proving all the hot takes from pre-draft wrong,” said Pittsburgh legend and Super Bowl Champion Jerome Bettis. “Every fan has a take, and I love that. But The Beast gives those takes real teeth. I can’t wait to get into it with fans in Pittsburgh and find out who they’ve got their eye on this year.”

For football fans in other cities across the country, The Athletic experts will also hit Reddit ahead of each stop in April to gather questions and host live AMAs, giving football fans unbridled access to The Beast as well as the knowledge and expertise of The Athletic.

Join The Athletic and other football fans ahead of the biggest moment of the NFL offseason at the following locations. The first 100 fans in each city will receive a physical copy of The Beast, while others will have a chance to ask their draft questions live with their city’s local The Athletic experts and football legends:

The Athletic’s The Beast is your all-access pass to the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s the guide that front office executives trust, that agents reference, and that fans return to year after year because no other guide comes close. You can dive into this year’s edition of The Beast exclusively in The Athletic.

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