First of all I wasn't singling you out and I dont think anyone else was either. You are damn well entitled to your opinion and I respect it along w/ anyone else who opposes drafting DMAC. However, it's frustrating when certain individuals in any given year oppose the notion of taking ANY high profile skill player,sometimes based on the wrong reasons. Whether it be fear of another high profile bust, the notion of sounding football saavy by downcasting skill positions/highlighting line positions, or b/c they over analyze guys that have been in the college spotlight for too long. The fact is regardless of us being "Solid" at a given position...we are not "Elite" at any..and frankly don't have "solid" overall depth. The only way to CHANGE those facts is by taking a best player available drafting approach.By all means, if we draft DMAC he isn't go unused or making himself or anything of the other RB's useless...not by any stretch of the imagination. If anything he makes our offense alot more lethal and gives us a ton of options schematically. Ahem...options that could IMPROVE the overall run/pass blocking by giving the opposition another skill player to worry about and messing up their timing. Now as it stands at # 6..even though DMAC maybe the superior talent(IMO at least) no one is gonna freak if Gholston is there as well as we go for the pass rusher which is a bigger need. But it starts getting ridiculous when many absolutely SHUN the notion of taking the best available player only b/c they dont like the position he plays, or the player/position they want does not offer the same value.
The issue is that even NFL scouts can't agree on the BPA during the draft. Same with many on this board. You may think that McFadden is the BPA while I happen to think that if he doesn't go to Oakland (and unless they are blowing smoke or are trading their pick, they said they were not taking him), he is going to slide out of the top 10. I also think that the Jets are in dire need of an elite pass rusher and either Gholston or Harvey will available at 6. I would pick either over McFadden. And while BPA works sometimes, you still need to look at what positions lead to winning games. I just happen to think that running backs grow on trees in the NFL and don't need time to develop. When you need one, you can usually find one and , if the OL is strong, the running game will succeed with almost any NFL caliber running back. I hate taking WRs early in the draft. They bust more than any position in the NFL and take three years to develop. Look at the current Jet receivers - Coles and Cotchery. It is a very good duo (provided Coles can stay healthy). Coles was a 3rd rounder and Cotchery a 4th rounder. They both took three years to develop. I can make a list a mile long of first round WRs that underperfom both Coles and Cotchery by a long shot. Even can't miss superman Calvin Johnson had a very pedestrian rookie season. After watching the Giants win the Super Bowl, and after watching a Jet defense that has not been able to get off the field for the past 3 seasons, it is time to draft a playmaker on defense, and by playmaker, I mean a pass rusher - Gholston if he is still there, Harvey if Gholston is gone.
The first round bust risk is true for virtually any position...DE is no exception.. In fact I'll be glad to make a list...(starting from 05 when guys have had a chance to develop) 2005 1 17 17 David Pollack Bengals Georgia 1 18 18 Erasmus James Vikings Wisconsin 2 14 46 Matt Roth Dolphins Iowa 2004 1 18 18 Will Smith Saints Ohio State 1 27 27 Jason Babin Texans Western Michigan 2003 3 1 14 14 Michael Haynes Bears Penn State 1 15 15 Jerome McDougle Eagles Miami (FL) 1 32 32 Tyler Brayton Raiders Colorado 2002 1 22 22 Bryan Thomas Jets Alabama-Birmingham 2001 1 10 10 Jamal Reynolds Packers Florida State 1 7 7 Andre Carter 49ers California 1 29 29 Ryan Pickett Rams Ohio State There are just as many first round busts at this position as there is at RB. Who's to say Gholston/Harvey(who is a huge reach at # 6 btw) are any different? This is why you put your trust in your evaluation process...put a partially blind eye to the position at hand, and go BPA. You build depth, you make competition and you have overall talent.
...if that is your rationale...please do more research... Ron Dayne 6,279 total rushing yards and 70 TD's here is your perfect example.... ....in the past 15 years of the draft there have been dozens of top ten draft busts at all the major positions QB, RB, WR...LB, DL.......
Exactly. Which is why you have to have faith in your player evaluation method and put trust in your draft board. AKA BPA Method:up:
Reality is the top players will be rated very similiarly by all the NFL teams. Busts happen but unless you really reach or fall in love with a player early in the draft, top 10 places there really are only going to be a difference on opinion regarding a couple of players by a couple of spots. The idea that we are grading players in the top 10 vastly differently than the other top 10 teams is nonensense. If McFadden is available and the highest rated player on the board we would be nuts not to take him based on the over all needs of this team.
