Here is a good way to explain BPA from a Pro BPA standpoint to those of you that have a need standpoint (1 Viewer)

[ChopperSaint]

Im going to make my case on why every team in the NFL should draft BPA with no exceptions to the rule other then maybe QB.

I think the reason a lot of the non BPA people dont fully embrace the concept of BPA is because we tend to overvalue players in the college draft.

We have a serious need at OT right now but picking at 15 unless a miracle takes place there is nobody out there that will justify the 15th selection at the OT position.

Even with that being the case there are people on this forum that still believes you should reach anyway and take the OT even though the 4th best OT would be nowhere near the BPA on the board at that time in the draft.

I think the reason people feel this way is because these people are over
valuing just how good the 4th best OT in the draft is on paper.

If you had this same situation in free agency these same need people would change there opinion very quickly because the over valuing is not the same for a FA thats been in the league for 5+ years.

The mystery of a drafted rookie always tends get over valued.
Because there is always that chance you just drafted the next future HOFer.

Lets just pretend we have a crystal ball and we can project this years draft into the future.

Lets pretend that the 4th best OT in this years draft is an average starting OT in the NFL. This is exactly what he is projected to be. The 4th best OT in this years draft is not projected to be anything more then average.

His ceiling is somewhere around Bushrod.

Would you trade the 15th pick of the draft for Bushrod?
I would say 99% of all posters on this forum would answer no to that question.

But this is basically what the Saints would be doing if they took the 4th best OT in the draft at 15.

Now of course there is always a chance that a player will end up doing much better then there draft grade but you cant base a draft on the exception to the rule.
This is the very reason players in the draft get over valued in the first place because of that mystery of the player maybe being better then the scouts said they would be.

Nicks, Evans,Brees, and Colston are all fine examples of players that far exceeded there draft projections.

Now back to the crystal ball.
Lets pretend Tavon Austin is the next Percy Havin and is considered the BPA at 15.
This is pretty much his draft projection right now.
They are both thought of in the same light by draft projections.

If Bushrod and Harvin were both free agents and they had the same price tag would you take Bushrod or Harvin?

You would have to take Harvin if you had any sense.

Not only are you getting a lesser player when you draft need if it does not colide with BPA. You are also passing up on better players at other positions at the same time.

Its a double whammy when you dont go BPA.

The only way to build a consistant winner in the NFL is fill your needs in free agency so you can be free to take BPA when your turn comes up in the draft.

 

[texasjefe]

I do not think Loomis would reach for an OT at 15. I do not think very many people here are advocating for that.

With the way Loomis has managed to fill defensive needs so far in free agency, I have no doubt that if Tavon Austin is available at 15, Payton will take him for his new offensive toy.

Speed matters.

If Tavon is not available, we likely end up with a very solid defensive front seven pick.

 

[ChopperSaint]

Let me say this thread was not intended to make a case to take Austin.
I was just using him as an example of BPA at 15 at a position that is not considered a big need for the Saints.

You can insert any player in the draft that you consider BPA at 15.
I just threw his name out there just as an example.

 

[Shadeaux]

Anyone have the cliffnotes version?

 

[LSSpam]

Anyone have the cliffnotes version?

I didnt find it a very good way to explain

 

[St. Geezy]

Needs change every year. We're not just drafting for the 2013 season. That's reason enough to always go BOA, within reason, especially at positions that require 3 or more players to play or rotate at.

 

[Shadeaux]

I didnt find it a very good way to explain

Muchos gracias

 

[SweetT]

I'm all in with BPA. If it's Tavon Austin, then I'd be happier than a pig in ****.

 

[4thqtrsaint]

I think you go BPA in certain situations, but not everytime. In our case if BPA is an offensive player, but you have a need on D, and if the grades are close enough, you go D. If no defensive player of near value is there, you trade down. The reason is we have too many needs and taking BPA is a luxury. I'd take 2 solid needs over 1 great want.

I'm by no means an expert here, that's just my philosophy on it. For us in particular, we have several needs. A great WR or other position we're solid at won't help us when offenses are scoring at will on us.

 

[IceHot]

I agree that we should go BPA mostly because most prospects take 2 or 3 years to mature and it becomes really hard to predict what will be a need 2 or 3 years down the road.

When you select BPA its based on your own board which is composed by multiple coaches and multiple scouts which leaves a little wiggle room. You might take the 16 guy on your board at 15 or you might find that the number 30 guy on your board dropped down to the 50th pick and has become a must have.

But when you build your board you will often find that what ever your current needs are those thoughts creep into the evaluation process and the guy that looks like he might fill a role gets naturally rated higher on your board.

In the same regard players that dont fit your scheme like a 4-3 OLBer in a 3-4 get a much lower grade with one team then they do with another.

 

[wesleyTX13]

Anyone have the cliffnotes version?

It isn't as long as it looks. Almost every paragraph is actually just one sentence.

 

[Whodat GT]

I agree that BPA should be the pick. Just because you can never know for sure, if you're targeting a specific position, that a decent player filling that need would be there when you pick. The worst thing you can do is "reach" in a draft.

 

[Bartyboy]

I like BPA but I think you should add at a position of need. Lets look at some of the positions we are solid at besides QB. Although we could consider QB inn the later rounds. Lets say at pick 15 the BPA was a TE or slot receiver or RDE or Guard or even ILB. I think in the later rounds its even more at a position of need. Do we take a 3rd or 4th round backup QB. Yea I understand and appreciate BPA but at a position of need has to figure in there somewhere. Lets say we go with Brown at LT. What if we don't pick up a FA LT and no other LT is the best player all through the draft. What then? Yes BPA is the most important way to go but not a strict BPA. I also think developmental players that have a high ceiling at a position of non need are good to.

 

[Shadeaux]

It isn't as long as it looks. Almost every paragraph is actually just one sentence.

It was a joke.

 

[lapaz]

BPA is outdated. Choosing a player in a need position with a similar grade is much more effective in an era of free agency and salary caps, because you lose them if you stack up on a position. Also, leaving holes on the team forces the team to sign more expensive veterans. Finally, teams need to get as talented as possible at starting positions when you have a window of opportunity with a special player such as Brees, rather than drafting a player to wait in the wings, and forcing the team to start a weak player at another position. When it is time to pick, one has to analyze needs vs available players. It is not a good idea to pick a player that is rated much lower, but I think in most cases teams can find a player that both meets a need and is rated closely.