Obviously, if you have a relatively successful team, you don't have many needs, and as such can draft towards the best player available.
But what about the teams at the top of the draft, who typically have multiple holes? How do they draft? What positions can you get by with a later-round player or JAG, and what positions need to be filled by the best talent?
For those first-round picks, where you absolutely can't afford to make a mistake, how do you assign return for value? This is how I would rank the positions, but I welcome your opinions:
1) QB -- every ball touches this players hands on offense, not to mention the leadership responsibilities.
2) OL/DL -- individual responsibility is reduced, since they are working as a group, but these players are involved in every single play at the line of scrimmage.
3) LB,CB,S -- the individual contributions of these players can be significant, but they are not likely to be involved in every single defensive play.
4) RB -- depending on the team composition, this player can see a significant contribution to the running portion of the offense.
5) WR/TE -- important skill positions, but touches per game is even less.
6) FB, K, P -- as above.
With this kind of ranking, I wouldn't be surprised to see some skilled positional players fall in the first round. A talented WR could fall to the bottom of the 1st, simply because he won't get enough touches to justify taking him over a talented offensive lineman. Of course, there's always the crazies -- see Al Davis -- who will throw this kind of thinking out the window, but it's interesting to help project who might fall to us near the bottom of the draft.
But what about the teams at the top of the draft, who typically have multiple holes? How do they draft? What positions can you get by with a later-round player or JAG, and what positions need to be filled by the best talent?
For those first-round picks, where you absolutely can't afford to make a mistake, how do you assign return for value? This is how I would rank the positions, but I welcome your opinions:
1) QB -- every ball touches this players hands on offense, not to mention the leadership responsibilities.
2) OL/DL -- individual responsibility is reduced, since they are working as a group, but these players are involved in every single play at the line of scrimmage.
3) LB,CB,S -- the individual contributions of these players can be significant, but they are not likely to be involved in every single defensive play.
4) RB -- depending on the team composition, this player can see a significant contribution to the running portion of the offense.
5) WR/TE -- important skill positions, but touches per game is even less.
6) FB, K, P -- as above.
With this kind of ranking, I wouldn't be surprised to see some skilled positional players fall in the first round. A talented WR could fall to the bottom of the 1st, simply because he won't get enough touches to justify taking him over a talented offensive lineman. Of course, there's always the crazies -- see Al Davis -- who will throw this kind of thinking out the window, but it's interesting to help project who might fall to us near the bottom of the draft.
