Draft Strategy

thesaintsfan · 03-29-2008, 10:09 PM

I was reading an article about the different strategies that teams use to grade players in the draft. Some teams grade talent and stack their board based on a players overall talent and value based on where they are projected to be drafted. How a player fits their team specific schemes and concepts isn't a major factor in the evaluations. Other teams like the Pats grade talent strictly on how the player would fit their scheme. If a player is a poor fit for their defense they place that player very low or not at all on their draft board. Amobi Okoye is one example the article mentioned. Amobi was a smaller, pass rushing DT who would be a perfect fit for a 4-3 cover 2 type system. The Pats need their D-lineman to be big two gap players who will tie up a few blockers and stop the run. So the Pats didn't have Amobi on their first day board.

Of course everything I read I relate to the Saints so that got me wondering about which route our current FO takes with draft grading. It seems like they go with the overall talent method on offense and don't worry about how well a player fits. However on defense they only draft players who fit into a 4-3. The Saints' defense is a really basic 4-3 so of course we have alot more options as far as players fitting our scheme and that's a good thing. But because our defense is so vanilla we would never draft a D. Ware, S. Merriman, or V. Gholston. I read that we're bringing Gholston in for a private workout but even if we drafted him I don't see how we could use him properly. In today's game some of the best athletes in the draft are DE/OLB tweeners because of the matchup problems they present.

Here are some questions for you guys. Which draft strategy do you think is better for grading prospects and which strategy would you like to see us use? Also if the Saints do use the scheme specific method to draft defense, what would the top of your board look like. Keep in mind I'm not asking who you think the best players are, just the best fits for our defense. For example, I think V. Gholston is a better prospect that S. Ellis overall, but I have Ellis several spots higher on my board based on how well he would fit in our system. My team specific top 5 is Dorsey, Ellis, Long, McKelvin, and Rivers.

pakowitz · 03-29-2008, 10:33 PM

link? id like to read it

thesaintsfan · 03-30-2008, 04:32 AM

It's an article in this year's Pro Footbal Weekly' Draft Guide. The writer is Nolan Nawrocki and the article gives some great insight on what goes on behind the scenes of a draft. It's a great read and it shows the reasons why the best teams in NFL record wise are also the best teams in the war room.

The magazine overall is pretty decent and it gives alot of info on prospects. Many of their rankings are a little off IMHO. They've got Brandon Flowers at #2 for corners and Antoine Cason at #17. One good thing about the mag is that they are really high on some of the guys we've been throwing around on this board. They've got Mendenhall at 3, Forte at 7, Dorsey 1, Ellis 2, Rivers 1, McKelvin 1, and DRC 6 just to name a few. One guy they're really high on is Kentwan Balmer and I don't like him and all. I've seen a few mocks that have us getting him and I just don't get it. He's got Sully part II written all over him.

If anyone would like to know where this mag a prospect ranked just let me know.

thesaintsfan · 03-30-2008, 04:42 AM

One guy they are really high on is a DE/OLB prospect from ESU. They said that in his senior season Lattimer was just ok vs the run but was at his best rushing the QB. Lattimer was listed as 6'5'', 275 lbs but showed up at the combine weighing in at only 250 lbs. In pass coverage drills the guy bombed due to limited agility and lateral movement. But in the pass rush drills he was a beast and his straight line speed was confirmed by his 4.52 40 time. Even though this guy is projected to be a immediate starter at OLB in a 3-4 the Saints wouldn't draft him because he is too small to play end and isn't athletic enough to be a 4-3 LB. He'll probably go to the Pats or the Chargers and be a pro bowler.

03-29-2008, 10:09 PM	#1
thesaintsfan The Real Deal Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 174	Draft Strategy I was reading an article about the different strategies that teams use to grade players in the draft. Some teams grade talent and stack their board based on a players overall talent and value based on where they are projected to be drafted. How a player fits their team specific schemes and concepts isn't a major factor in the evaluations. Other teams like the Pats grade talent strictly on how the player would fit their scheme. If a player is a poor fit for their defense they place that player very low or not at all on their draft board. Amobi Okoye is one example the article mentioned. Amobi was a smaller, pass rushing DT who would be a perfect fit for a 4-3 cover 2 type system. The Pats need their D-lineman to be big two gap players who will tie up a few blockers and stop the run. So the Pats didn't have Amobi on their first day board. Of course everything I read I relate to the Saints so that got me wondering about which route our current FO takes with draft grading. It seems like they go with the overall talent method on offense and don't worry about how well a player fits. However on defense they only draft players who fit into a 4-3. The Saints' defense is a really basic 4-3 so of course we have alot more options as far as players fitting our scheme and that's a good thing. But because our defense is so vanilla we would never draft a D. Ware, S. Merriman, or V. Gholston. I read that we're bringing Gholston in for a private workout but even if we drafted him I don't see how we could use him properly. In today's game some of the best athletes in the draft are DE/OLB tweeners because of the matchup problems they present. Here are some questions for you guys. Which draft strategy do you think is better for grading prospects and which strategy would you like to see us use? Also if the Saints do use the scheme specific method to draft defense, what would the top of your board look like. Keep in mind I'm not asking who you think the best players are, just the best fits for our defense. For example, I think V. Gholston is a better prospect that S. Ellis overall, but I have Ellis several spots higher on my board based on how well he would fit in our system. My team specific top 5 is Dorsey, Ellis, Long, McKelvin, and Rivers.
	We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams.

03-30-2008, 04:32 AM	#3
thesaintsfan The Real Deal Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 174	Re: Draft Strategy It's an article in this year's Pro Footbal Weekly' Draft Guide. The writer is Nolan Nawrocki and the article gives some great insight on what goes on behind the scenes of a draft. It's a great read and it shows the reasons why the best teams in NFL record wise are also the best teams in the war room. The magazine overall is pretty decent and it gives alot of info on prospects. Many of their rankings are a little off IMHO. They've got Brandon Flowers at #2 for corners and Antoine Cason at #17. One good thing about the mag is that they are really high on some of the guys we've been throwing around on this board. They've got Mendenhall at 3, Forte at 7, Dorsey 1, Ellis 2, Rivers 1, McKelvin 1, and DRC 6 just to name a few. One guy they're really high on is Kentwan Balmer and I don't like him and all. I've seen a few mocks that have us getting him and I just don't get it. He's got Sully part II written all over him. If anyone would like to know where this mag a prospect ranked just let me know.
	We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams.

03-30-2008, 04:42 AM	#4
thesaintsfan The Real Deal Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 174	Re: Draft Strategy One guy they are really high on is a DE/OLB prospect from ESU. They said that in his senior season Lattimer was just ok vs the run but was at his best rushing the QB. Lattimer was listed as 6'5'', 275 lbs but showed up at the combine weighing in at only 250 lbs. In pass coverage drills the guy bombed due to limited agility and lateral movement. But in the pass rush drills he was a beast and his straight line speed was confirmed by his 4.52 40 time. Even though this guy is projected to be a immediate starter at OLB in a 3-4 the Saints wouldn't draft him because he is too small to play end and isn't athletic enough to be a 4-3 LB. He'll probably go to the Pats or the Chargers and be a pro bowler.
	We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams.

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03-29-2008, 10:33 PM	#2
pakowitz The Dark Overlord Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,450	Re: Draft Strategy link? id like to read it