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.”
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, 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!).