SissyBoyFloyd
Pawnee, Skidi Clan
One way to view the draft is to not only see how many top 32 players fit which positions, but how far apart they rank which may tell you how much drop off there is in talent between the players, but also how much you give up by waiting a round to fill that position.
Here are the number of players I quickly came up with that are or might be considered first round talent, with the difference in rank from some to others of that position.
*1st number is how many are graded as 1st rounder/2nd number is how many after that are rated in top 100 with a draft grade of above 70.
OTs - 6/2 (a lot will depend if you need a LT or RT. Half of the six would be considered good LT choices. Big drop off after those 3, thus if LT is major need who needs to start right away for you, you need to get one of these 3 in the top half of 1st round, maybe as high as 12 or be left without one. Very few OTs will be left for rounds 2 and 3.)
OGs - 2/5 (only 2 considered as immediate starters and very close talent wise. Drop off in talent after them is considered a lot. If your need for an OG is by far out weights your other needs, probably should grab one of these 2 if they are available for you in the first.)
TEs - 2/4 (Same as the OG position, although just like OG position, not usually a team's greatest priority in most drafts. Can't see anyone trading up for either of these 2)
QBs - 2/4 (both questionable 1st rounders, so need will have to be extremely high)
WRs - 3/8 (depending of you need, there are only a very few WRs who look like they could star in the league next year. If you don't have a #1 WR, you will need to consider spending your 1st round or very high 2nd round pick on one.)
RBs - 1/6 (Lacy is the only thing close to a Trenton Richardson and worth of a possible later 1st round pick this year. After that there are about 6 RBs who appear they could be an immediate help to a team this year.) - 6/5 (They are ranked in different order up and down the top 32. Maybe a good example of being very little difference from who you get and how high or low. You might just pass on this position in the 1st round if your have another top need and have a 2nd round pick)
DEs - 4/4 (all ranked very close and in different orders. A team with a big DE need may only have to trade up to mid round to acquire one of these 4.)
OLBs- 3/4 (all 3 potential top 10 picks, so not much difference, however big drop off after these 3. If this is a main need for your D, you need to try to get one of these by middle of first round)
ILBs - 2/2 (only 2, both with question marks which could drop them out of 1st round. However, talent wise both were expected to be by far the cream of the crop. I doubt any team will gamble a 1st round pick on an ILB this year.)
CBs - 3/8 (only 1 considered top 5 pick, big drop off of up to 20 spots to the 2nd top ranked one. If CB is a huge need, this may be the one player in the draft worth trading up for. I think a lot of teams will be watching to see if he may slip down a few places to make it easier for them to move up.)
Ss - 2/3 (only 1 rated at or near top 10, w/ 25 spots separating them. This may be viewed the same as CBs, only that top S probably can be had outside the top 10. A team with a big need here will be watching to see how far they may need to move up to grab him. There are only 3 other safeties rated in top 100, so will need to grab one early if there is a big need.)
Now for the Cards:
1. If coach falls in love w/ one of the QBs, probably need to take him in the 1st round, unless he is just drafting one as a project.
2. Cards aren't going to get an elite OT or OG in round 2. If coach feels the OL is the most important now, he can't use our #7 pick on anything but that.
3. OLB or S is the position to fill in the first if coach is against going for a QB early in the draft, and feels there is a OG who he likes that can be had in the 2nd round. An elite S or OLB can only be gotten in the 1st round this year. The drop off is pretty big in quality in the top players at these 2 positions. Not sure we are desperate for an immediate starter at either of these however.
4. TE, RB, and ILB I wouldn't waste a 1-3 round pick on this year, with the possibility of RB if you fell in love with one that fell to the 3rd round.
5. CB is a position where there is only 1 player you can call elite and worth a pick as high as a Patrick Peterson was to us. To have bookend CBs who would serve us for many years to come, is a consideration coach might want to give some time to. Personally though, I would see the Cards going DE/OLB with our first pick over CB, if and only if QB was not in the plans and OL was expecting to be filled in the 2nd round with someone they like.
Here are the number of players I quickly came up with that are or might be considered first round talent, with the difference in rank from some to others of that position.
*1st number is how many are graded as 1st rounder/2nd number is how many after that are rated in top 100 with a draft grade of above 70.
OTs - 6/2 (a lot will depend if you need a LT or RT. Half of the six would be considered good LT choices. Big drop off after those 3, thus if LT is major need who needs to start right away for you, you need to get one of these 3 in the top half of 1st round, maybe as high as 12 or be left without one. Very few OTs will be left for rounds 2 and 3.)
OGs - 2/5 (only 2 considered as immediate starters and very close talent wise. Drop off in talent after them is considered a lot. If your need for an OG is by far out weights your other needs, probably should grab one of these 2 if they are available for you in the first.)
TEs - 2/4 (Same as the OG position, although just like OG position, not usually a team's greatest priority in most drafts. Can't see anyone trading up for either of these 2)
QBs - 2/4 (both questionable 1st rounders, so need will have to be extremely high)
WRs - 3/8 (depending of you need, there are only a very few WRs who look like they could star in the league next year. If you don't have a #1 WR, you will need to consider spending your 1st round or very high 2nd round pick on one.)
RBs - 1/6 (Lacy is the only thing close to a Trenton Richardson and worth of a possible later 1st round pick this year. After that there are about 6 RBs who appear they could be an immediate help to a team this year.) - 6/5 (They are ranked in different order up and down the top 32. Maybe a good example of being very little difference from who you get and how high or low. You might just pass on this position in the 1st round if your have another top need and have a 2nd round pick)
DEs - 4/4 (all ranked very close and in different orders. A team with a big DE need may only have to trade up to mid round to acquire one of these 4.)
OLBs- 3/4 (all 3 potential top 10 picks, so not much difference, however big drop off after these 3. If this is a main need for your D, you need to try to get one of these by middle of first round)
ILBs - 2/2 (only 2, both with question marks which could drop them out of 1st round. However, talent wise both were expected to be by far the cream of the crop. I doubt any team will gamble a 1st round pick on an ILB this year.)
CBs - 3/8 (only 1 considered top 5 pick, big drop off of up to 20 spots to the 2nd top ranked one. If CB is a huge need, this may be the one player in the draft worth trading up for. I think a lot of teams will be watching to see if he may slip down a few places to make it easier for them to move up.)
Ss - 2/3 (only 1 rated at or near top 10, w/ 25 spots separating them. This may be viewed the same as CBs, only that top S probably can be had outside the top 10. A team with a big need here will be watching to see how far they may need to move up to grab him. There are only 3 other safeties rated in top 100, so will need to grab one early if there is a big need.)
Now for the Cards:
1. If coach falls in love w/ one of the QBs, probably need to take him in the 1st round, unless he is just drafting one as a project.
2. Cards aren't going to get an elite OT or OG in round 2. If coach feels the OL is the most important now, he can't use our #7 pick on anything but that.
3. OLB or S is the position to fill in the first if coach is against going for a QB early in the draft, and feels there is a OG who he likes that can be had in the 2nd round. An elite S or OLB can only be gotten in the 1st round this year. The drop off is pretty big in quality in the top players at these 2 positions. Not sure we are desperate for an immediate starter at either of these however.
4. TE, RB, and ILB I wouldn't waste a 1-3 round pick on this year, with the possibility of RB if you fell in love with one that fell to the 3rd round.
5. CB is a position where there is only 1 player you can call elite and worth a pick as high as a Patrick Peterson was to us. To have bookend CBs who would serve us for many years to come, is a consideration coach might want to give some time to. Personally though, I would see the Cards going DE/OLB with our first pick over CB, if and only if QB was not in the plans and OL was expecting to be filled in the 2nd round with someone they like.
