Do You Draft for Need or Best Player Available?

[Duffman003]

I've always been a fan of drafting the best player available. Obviously, this only works if you have a good scouting staff. Saying, "drafting the best player available is a bad idea because the Lions drafted 4 wide receivers and are awful" doesn't make sense to me. Other teams draft the best player available and do well. New England and Indy have done it and it worked out for them.

Pretty much the only position I would oppose drafting the best player available, is the quarterback in the first few rounds, if you already have an above average quarterback. I only oppose that in the first couple rounds, since injuries will always happen and you never have 2 quarterbacks on the field at the same time(99% of the time) and the team might get no value from the high draft pick.

Free agency is where you go to fill needs. There are usually serviceable players in each free agency. Last year we got Derrick Dockery back, who is a capable left guard in the NFL. Every year's class of free agents won't necessarily be available to fill all your needs, but it's impossible to have pro bowlers at every position.

That's why I would love to see the Redskins actually draft whoever they think is best, especially in the first round. Eric Berry will probably be available at pick number four and if Berry is a bust and Landry continues playing the way he does, we could become the next lions by drafting 3 safeties in 6 years and be an awful team. But, if Berry plays like Reed, we could have a top 5 defense and a very good chance of making the playoffs.

Everything in the draft is a gamble, so I'd rather take a gamble on whatever has the best chance to succeed.

Man, how do you people write posts longer than this one?