A Valuable NFL Draft Lesson Everyone Must Learn

May 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead talks with the media about first round draft pick Todd Gurley (not pictured) during a press conference at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Football fans have grown to love the NFL draft almost as much, and in some cases more than the actual play during a season.  The pageantry and the spectacle of it are hard to ignore, along with the high-stakes gambling and chess matches that come with it.  This has led to everybody trying to learn whatever they can about the process of running a draft:  how a team should operate, what happens in trades and what to look for in players.

Among the many lessons that could be taught about one of the most important three-day periods in sports, is the idea of want vs. need.  Does a team go after a the best player on the board or do they take the best player at a position where their roster is weak?  Both sides have an argument for and against, but a great inside lesson came out recently courtesy of the St. Louis Rams brass.

During an interview with the Chicago Tribune in the lead up to the Rams contest against the Bears, GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher were asked about emerging star defensive tackle Aaron Donald.  It was no secret the former Pitt product was highly coveted by the Bears, but St. Louis decided to take him at #13 in the 2014 draft despite already having a strong defensive front and needs elsewhere.

When asked why they chose to do that, Snead and Fisher both offered simple but important explanations.

Snead

"“That was our strength,” Snead acknowledged.So why add to your strength when there are pretty good players available at other positions? To explain the decision, Snead rose from behind his desk and walked over to a large dry erase board covering most of one wall in his office. There was depth chart information, printouts and cutouts, lots of cutouts with quotes and tidbits neatly arranged down the left side and across the bottom.“You see I am a quote guy,” Snead said as he searched. “I think I have it somewhere. Where’s it at? That’s it. Obsession not balance makes things happen.“You know, in the NFL for the most part, every team has a hole. We all do. So it’s, ‘Let’s get our strong really strong.’ Hopefully that carries the day or is the catalyst.”"

Fisher

"“If that is our bread and butter, let’s feed the beast.”"

It’s hard to argue against the results of that decision.  Led by a dominant defensive front, with Donald at the center of it, the Rams defense ranks in the top 5 so far this season including 27 sacks.  Since the bye week they are 2-1 (2-0 in the division) and in firm contention for a wild card playoff spot at 4-4.  As most people know, defense usually tips the scales when the season gets late and the weather gets cold.

Several other teams have explored a similar process of obsession or balance and found success:

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Drafted 19 receivers since Kevin Colbert became GM in 2000
• Three have become Pro Bowlers and three others have become long-term starters
• Have made the playoffs nine times in that span
• Won two Super Bowls and reached a third

Baltimore Ravens

• Drafted 21 linebackers since Ozzie Newsome became GM in 1996
• Five have become Pro Bowlers and three others have become long-term starters
• Made the playoffs 10 times in that span
• Won two Super Bowls

Seattle Seahawks

• Drafted 12 defensive backs since John Schneider became GM in 2010
• Three have become Pro Bowlers
• Made the playoffs four times in that span
• Won a Super Bowl and reached another

So you see, there is tangible evidence that it’s actually a good thing to keep favoring a particular position group during a draft when a team sees it as their strength and what they know best.  This is something a lot of GMs don’t learn to embrace and it continues to cost their fans winning seasons.