I don't believe it is changing anything and I am not sure what historical evidence you are claiming. Mock drafts? Online draft boards? Former team reporters are saying that people in the Cardinals draft room were pushing for Wirfs which is actual evidence that NFL people thought they were close.
College career. Awards. Combine. Traits. Ability. Physical presence.
All of it mattered and it's why the consensus amongst scouts and pundits had IS higher. He was projected to go #3 to NY for a reason. He was looked at as generational in his skill set with where the league was going.
Regardless..... it was all wrong. Clearly.
And although I don't doubt Kyle O's reporting, he wasn't in the room. If you remember this is the same war room that wanted Ameer Abdullah over Markus Golden and then lucked in to David Johnson.
I'm not willing to underestimate how horrible they were at their jobs. they are paid to know better and clearly didn't. I sat on my couch and thought I knew better and clearly didn't.
I liked Thomas, Wills, Wirfs, then a large gap, then Becton. I would have slotted IS in between Thomas and Wills but that largely means nothing now. Clearly "in hindsight" it should have been different.