I read a lot of posts proclaiming that Dallas should simply draft the best available players on the board when they get on the clock, since this should assure Dallas of getting the best football players, regardless of position, which in theory would allow them to field the best football team possible. While I think this philosophy sounds good on paper, when applied in reality it leaves a bit to be desired. I say this because I believe a team absolutely has to factor in need when drafting, along with the philosophy of 'BPA'. I believe if a team drafts purely 'BPA', then they will end up with significant deficiencies at certain important positions. To give some 'evidence' to my theory, I just did a Fanspeak Mock Draft where I picked the 'BPA' in every round, with the caveat that if I already picked a specific position, I would skip that position if it was the 'BPA' in the following rounds.
Using the 'BPA' philosophy, here is the draft I came up with for the Dallas Cowboys. You tell me if you actually like it, and if it would actually make the team significantly better for 2015 and beyond. Should be a fun and educational exercise. Again, let's hear some opinions!!
Round 1) Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
Round 2) Marqise Lee, WR, USC
Round 3) Ka'deem Carey, RB, Arizona
Round 4) Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech (this is where I skipped a position previously drafted,as BC RB Andre Williams was 'BPA',with Ellis next in line)
Round 5) Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina
Round 7a) Connor Shaw,QB,South Carolina
Round 7b) Denicos Allen, OLB, Michigan State
Round 7c) Matt Patchan, OT, Boston College
Round 7d) Trey Millard, FB, Oklahoma
Round 7e) Jamea Thomas, S, Georgia Tech
Round 7f) Zach Fulton, OG, Tennessee
Perhaps I should have allowed myself to draft a 2nd player at the same position after the 4th round, since there were some decent 'BPA's' available after the 4th round at DE and DT. Considering this, I will now re-draft with these new rules and post the results below (of course each simulated mock ends up with different players available):
Round 1) Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
Round 2) Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington
Round 3) Chris Borland, ILB, Wisconsin
Round 4) Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
Round 5) Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
Round 7a) Connor Shaw, QB, South Carolina
Round 7b) James Stone, C, Tennessee
Round 7c) Justin Britt, OT, Missouri
Round 7d) Ik Enemkpali, DE, Louisiana Tech
Round 7e) Trey Millard, FB, Oklahoma
Round 7f) Eric Ward, WR, Texas Tech
Now, while these seem like decent drafts, you can tell that they LACK the one position group that the Cowboys need some serious help in- Defensive Tackle. I know, I know, the Cowboys signed DT Henry Melton. However, he is coming off an ACL injury, so there are questions as to whether he will actually be the Melton of old, or just an average DT. That is my issue with pure 'BPA'- it leaves huge holes on the team that would be addressed by using a 'need-based BPA' philosophy.
However, I don't get paid to evaluate and draft players, I'm just a fanatic. But I am curious about other BTB'ers opinions. Let 'em fly!