Wait, so you draft for need?
Originally Posted by: KRK
Like you say in a later post, it's a lot more nuanced than just drafting for need and just drafting the best player available.
Positional value is a big decider. How your roster is build. How many players you see as aproxomately equally skilled. It's like Z2C said, if you reach for need, you're going to be at the bottom of the league real fast. Doesn't mean we're drafting seven running backs in one draft because they all fit the BPA at that point.
It's just that there's no way you can say that you're drafting 3 o-linemen beforehand. You don't know who's available. That doesn't mean people around here don't see the need. It's just that there's other needs and players that are likely to line up better at our current draft positions. I won't go any further into that, because both sides have given enough arguments.
Add to that that you're usually drafting for the future. We can draft 6 o-linemen on day one and two, but odds are pretty slim that they're all NFL-caliber players from day one, so you won't be plugging those holes you're seeing instantly.
Odds are pretty big, though, that you're creating big problems at other positions. We have two old tight ends and one that will never become a starter, most likely. We need to infuse some talent and youth in that position. ILB is looking pretty barren. Just shoving those needs aside and drafting for inmediate need makes it nearly certain that you'll have to dip into FA and give up top dollar to sign someone there. Something you'd rather not do.
Then we have the worst draft class in decades. I have only seen one ranking where a TE broke the top 15 in best players to be drafted.
Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool
I agree with all your points, apart from this one. I think you actually might be ahead of the curve. Positional value for tight ends has been, in my opinion, undervalued for years. Just take a look at what difference a guy like Graham, Gronkowski or Gonzalez makes.
That said, there's no one I would pick at 12 this year, but I wouldn't mind picking a TE that high. Guard or ILB, those are positions I generally wouldn't spend a high pick on.