A few things I think we can expect in the draft
You are probably right but nothing is a definite in the draft...
1. 1st pick will go defense, the team has met with a lot of first round prospects but only one plays offense (Lane Johnson).
We have drafted players before that we did not meet with and we will have a board and we wont pass up exceptional value if someone we love drops to us even if they are on offense. About 50% of our 1st round selections in recent years have been player we did NOT meet with. So those meeting do tell us anything for certain.
2. A pass rushing OLB will be drafted at some point, most likely in the 1st round. Two things were keeping Payton at night pass rush and LT while Victor Butler was brought in at least one more OLB needs to be added.
I highly agree but in the totally unlikely off chance that value never meets position we could go with what we have.
3. We will draft an OT it won't happen in the first but look for this to most likely happen in the 4th or 5th rounds.
Value again is key OT and value could mate up at any point in the draft. Including possibly trading back in the 1st round
4. A safety will be drafted. Our safeties ranked at the bottom last year and Rob Ryan likes physical safeties who can play in the box or drop into a deep zone. Harper and Jenkins are awfull playing zone.
Again depends if the quality of Safety is still there when we pick. Harper and Jenkins are not the worst safeties in the league. In fact BOTH would be LOCKS to start for the Jets and nobody is guaranteeing the Jets to pick a Day 1 or Day 2 safety. The Day 1 and Day 2 draft quality of safeties is really high so if we dont get one then and other teams do, then we may not get one that is expected to start or replace the talent that we have. I think our 2 safeties (even as below average) are still better then almost all of the safeties that will get drafted on Day 3.
5. A WR will be drafted, this won't happen in the 1st but there is some great value in the middle rounds. Look for Payton to get his new weapon as high as the 3rd round.
It could happen in the first particularly if we make a trade back, but hopefully not. Again a deep WR draft but you never no.
Anything could happen in the draft including drafting a late QB Backup.
Furthermore, I would not be surprised if we draft a RB. We are a 3-back system and yet we still burn the tires off our RBs, getting one for the future may seem stupid, but it is a possibility. Sproles (29) is not young and neither is PT (28).
The smartest draft is the one that drafts for our needs in 3 years not our needs this year...as that would be silly since most rookies take 3 years to mature.