NFL Draft: Is BPA really the best policy?

Fit

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It seems unlikely that a Devin Funchess would be in any real danger of being drafted by Kansas City in Round 2. He simply doesn’t fit the Chiefs’ offensive system. Funchess runs a limited route tree and tends to gear down in and out of his cuts. Teams routinely discriminate against prospects who are an ill fit for their offensive and defensive schemes. The best way to get the maximum value from a draft pick is to identify a player whose skill set closely aligns with a coordinator’s vision. Former Chief Glenn Dorsey knows this as well as anyone. Dorsey was forced into an odd-front and never lived up to his draft promise. He didn’t have a true position in a 3-4 defense and ultimately defected from Kansas City as a failed top-5 pick.

Liability

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Former Missouri Tiger Dorial Green-Beckham has a first-round grade. The Chiefs are likely to have a shot at selecting him in Round 1. Rumor has it that the Chiefs are enamored with him as a prospect. However, there are real concerns about DGB’s off-the-field activities and whether or not he’s worth the risk in the opening round. Green-Beckham was dismissed from the University of Missouri football team after two drug-related incidents and being named as a suspect in a burglary investigation.

NFL teams have interests to protect and players with checkered pasts often find themselves tumbling down draft boards. The Chiefs learned this first hand when a certain star outside linebacker fell to them in the third round following a positive marijuana test. No one can deny that Justin Houston would’ve gone much sooner sans the infraction at the NFL Combine. Former Seminole P.J. Williams may be on the business end of a similar fate after his DUI arrest earlier this month.

A team is just as inclined to pass over a highly talented prospect with injury concerns. Last year, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray was expected to be taken on the first two days of the NFL Draft. He dropped all the way to Round 5 before Kansas City drafted him with the 163rd overall pick. Murray finished his collegiate career as the all-time SEC leader in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. Despite his talent, no team felt comfortable taking him until the middle rounds.

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