Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Abby Harvey

With the NFL draft approaching, many teams are about to make decisions that will decide their fates for the upcoming seasons. I have made it no secret that I think the draft is where great teams are built.

There are two different draft strategies employed by today's NFL teams. Some teams draft players that play positions that they need someone at, while others draft the best player available. I believe the latter of the two strategies is the best one.

Imagine if the Minnesota Vikings passed on drafting Adrian Peterson because they felt Chester Taylor could suffice as running back and instead addressed a position of greater need such as a quarterback - college-standout and top-prospect Brady Quinn was available to the Vikings when they selected Peterson. Instead, the Vikings took the player they thought was best and haven't looked back.

Packer fans, do you remember when the Packers traded up to tenth overall pick in the draft to select Jamal Reynolds, the defensive end who was supposed to help fill the shoes of recently-retired Reggie White? Three years, 18 games and only three sacks later, Reynolds was out of the NFL, and the Packers still needed a defensive end.

Sometimes, if a team is lucky, the best player available will also play a position of need. In 1998 the Colts selected Peyton Manning, who has been arguably the best quarterback in the league since then, and they have only had two losing seasons. Most teams, however, are not lucky when they draft based on need.

Most of the NFL's biggest draft busts have been teams taking players that fill a specific need. Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Brian Bosworth and Blair Thomas, for example, are all need-based selections that flopped horribly. Yes, there have been some players that were considered to be the best available that have been busts - Tony Mandarich and Charles Rodgers to name a few - but there are significantly fewer.

Some people may be skeptical of this theory. If I have a team with Brett Favre and John Elway at quarterback, should I really draft Peyton Manning if he is the best available player? Yes. Adding Manning to that hypothetical team creates some trade options. There would be many teams interested in adding Manning, which would allow the general manager of the team an option to add a proven player to the team instead of reaching for one that is much more questionable. If a team has enough confidence in its draft pick, it could consider trading the incumbent starter and, in some cases, receive much more proven talent in return.

Gourdoux is a sophomore print journalism major and sports editor of The Spectator.

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