Cleveland Browns: The QB questions continue with the 2017 NFL Draft
By Joel W. Cade
The model of effective drafting seeks to correlate the value of the pick to value of the player chosen. In this school of thought, the first overall pick should be used only on a player worthy of the first overall pick.
In short, proponents of this idea want a “Paradise City” in which everything correlates and is harmonious.
In Browns land, this model is typified by the draft analysis community. Key figures in this model are Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay and Dane Brugler. These figures provide draft analysis and scouting reports to rank every player coming out of college. The point is to determine the value of players to correlate them to their overall draft value. In Paradise City, every team would use their draft capital (overall worth of each pick) on a player worthy of that pick.
However, sometimes reality gets in the way. A team may have a need at a certain draft slot, say the 14th selection in the first round, but none of the players on the board in the position of need fits the value of that pick. Often, teams will draft for that need instead of the perceived correlation between the value of player to pick. In this model, the draft is broken.
When teams reach, (draft players whose perceived value is less than the value of the pick), the inherent order of the draft is disrupted. Based on non-correlation of pick to player, grades are handed out to each team. A team who gets less player value than pick value gets a worse grade than a team who can exceed pick value with player value.
In this model, the first overall pick should be used on a player whose value is worthy of the first overall pick. In this draft, Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is currently that player.
In this model, the value of a quarterback is relegated to the value of pick and player.
But if the quarterback is the most important player on the team, can the value of the quarterback be accurately calculated? Can a team afford to wait on a quarterback whose perceived value is less than the pick value?