# "Best Available Player" or "Draft for Need" - What would you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 30, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-available-player-or-draft-for-need-what-would-you-do/687351 "2014-04-30T12:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-available-player-or-draft-for-need-what-would-you-do/687351/21 "2014-05-02T15:58:04Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > If this guy’s so good, and _nobody_ wants him, I’d assume there was something about him that I was missing. These guys in the draft are the most picked over, well studied animals on the planet. It’s not like one or two people passed on him. In this scenario, 14 other teams have all said, “No thanks.” Unless I could identify a reason for his declining stock, I’d probably stick with my game plan. In fact I’d probably consider trading my spot to someone else if I could still get the guy I initially wanted plus a little something extra. You’re not the only one who thinks that way- NFL teams get panicky, and when a legitimate star falls on Draft Day for no apparent reason, many execs think not “We’re so lucky,” but “What do those other guys know that we don’t?” In the 1990 draft, Emmitt Smith was definitely the best running back by far, and PROBABLY the best overall player (backers of Junior Seau or Cortez Kennedy could make very good arguments, too). Smith was expected to be taken close to the top. When the teams at the top passed on him (most went for defense), he started plummeting. Again, teams SHOULD have said, “I can’t believe a star like Emmitt Smith is still on the board- draft him FAST.” More teams figured “He must be injured… or maybe he’s a head case… or maybe he’s a druggie. We can’t take a chance.” The Cowboys got a bargain, as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-available-player-or-draft-for-need-what-would-you-do/687351/22 "2014-05-05T03:57:06Z")
On a related note, I enjoyed my free preview ticket of _Draft Day_ - they took an interesting look at this question. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-available-player-or-draft-for-need-what-would-you-do/687351/23 "2014-05-05T11:38:21Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Especially in this scenario because you’re comparing two “dime-a-dozen” positions for the good players. You can grab a good handsy receiver in the later rounds easily… You can? I mean, yeah, of course \*literally \*you can, but (without having looked into it) my impression is that WR is one of those positions where draft position really matters and talent dries up pretty quick. [Last year](http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2013/receiving.htm), 8 of the top 10 in receiving yards were drafted in the 1st or 2nd round, including a 2nd, 3rd, and a 4th overall pick. One of the two exceptions (Pierre Garcon) was on his sixth year (and second team) before he finally had that really good season – the highly drafted stars typically break out much sooner. In 2012 it was also 8 of the top 10. If I were a GM and needed to bolster my WR corps through the draft, I’d target one in the 1st or 2nd Round. (And then not draft him because some highly touted CB fell 15 spots further than expected … damn you, BPA!). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-available-player-or-draft-for-need-what-would-you-do/687351.md?page=1)