From the Coach’s Office: Creating a first round draft board

Now that we have established our philosophy, it is time to construct a draft board.

In order to draft the best player available, you have to rank players according to their ability.  That is easier said than done.  It is difficult to rank players at positions that have very different requirements.  For instance, you have to be able to compare a corner back to an offensive lineman.  Yet that is what you have to do; be accurate in your evaluation and then trust your evaluation process.

Here is a list of the top 24 players in the draft from “my” scouting department.  Since I do not evaluate college players I took lists from Daniel Jeremiah and Gil Brandt of the NFL Network to comprise my first round draft board.  The players were ranked by ability without regard to who may draft them.

I took their top 27 and then eliminated the quarterbacks.  That yielded 24 players.

The Saints should not draft a QB in the first round; none of this class is good enough to use a first round pick much less use the assets to trade up to get one.

Selecting a quarterback is not about selecting one but of selecting the right one.

Here is their list:

1  Saquon Barkley – RB

2  Bradley Chubb – DE

3 Quenton Nelson – OG

4 Denzel Ward – CB

5 Tremaine Edmunds – LB

6  Minkah Fitzpatrick – S

7  Vita Vea – DT

8 Roquan Smith – LB

9 Derwin James – S

10 Marcus Davenport – DE

11 Jaire Alexander, CB

12 Will Hernandez – OG

13  Da’Ron Payne, DT

14 James Daniels – C

15 Sony Michel – RB

16 Connor Williams – G/T

17 Mike Hughes, CB

18 Derrius Guice, RB

19 Leighton Vander Esch – LB

20  Calvin Ridley – WR

21 Rashaan Evans – LB

22  D.J. Moore – WR

23 Taven Bryan, DT

24  Mike McGlinchey – OT

I then took Al Dupuy’s mock draft to simulate the first round selections.  Over the years, Al has been incredible in putting his mock drafts together.

Whenever a player is selected you scratch them off your draft board.  After the first 26 selections, here is how the draft board looks.

*  Players selected that are not on our draft board (4)

After pick 26, here is who is left on our board

11 Jaire Alexander – CB – Louisville

14 James Daniels – C – Iowa

15 Sony Michel – RB – Georgia

16 Connor Williams – G/T – Texas

17 Mike Hughes – CB – UCF

19 Leighton Vander Esch – LB – Boise St.

This is where you have some wiggle room.  How close are the players rated to each other?  While Jaire Alexander would be the best player available, if this group is tightly bunched, you may skip him to go to a position of need.  However, if there is a distinct separation, you go with the best player available.

The biggest problem with Jaire Alexander is that he is not from Ohio State.

Try this exercise with your own draft board.  In that way you can make an intelligent decision with your choice.