He also said it would be a defense-heavy draft , so BPA is obviously a fluid concept. Need will always be a part of the draft to some degree.

I think it depends a bit on what type of depth the draft has. Ballard stated before the draft that they had Players 16-70 ranked very closely together and you really had to split hairs to rank one over another. At that point, you can take a look at your needs and address them.

Besides Ballard, SI's MMQB had the same observation before the draft when they posted their final mock draft:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/22/mo...dwayne-haskins

Has he ever done that before. Don’t think he has. I was trying to see if ESPN would do a bit on EJ Green and if walking draft encyclopedia Kiper knew anything. But they stayed at commercial then skipped over him. I guess even Kiper didn’t know anything about him. He doesn’t mention him in the grade either.


http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2019/in...t-picks-steals

Fans do too, that’s why their always upset when it doesn’t match up with their draft guide.

He most assuredly did not draft for need, because he traded down instead of taking arguably the best pass rusher in the draft, and he didn't draft a DT when two were needed before he traded Ridgeway.

Reporters arent experts. The experts are the people running the teams. And the draft is a gamble. Its not just athletic ability. There needs to be a mix of intelligence, determination, ability and some good luck.

And some times shit happens. Thats where character matters, in the front office, coaches and players.

This all looks good now. By the first game we might have a clue how this draft class will work out

He addressed the 3 tech last yrs draft. He added pass rush with Houston and BB. Can’t draft guys and then immediately draft more guys at the same position every yr before you let them develop. The UT is pretty stacked with Autry Lewis Ward and Turay and Hunt. Yes I know they rotated Hunt all over the line but he did some things at the 3 tech

Ridgeway wasn’t gonna make the team in Ballard’s eyes. So he got something for him

Sweat was a medical concern. That is why the team that finally took him is drafting high every yr

He said. We felt like we. We’re to address the LB position. And that’s where he concentrated CB Was a need. WR was a need LB was a need.

He preached trenches DL and Oline so I figured BPA in those areas and he took a corner. Yes I think Rock is a very good corner worthy of a 1st rd pick.

Time will tell I’m not gonna complain about this draft. I do think we add at least 1 NT and some more oline in FA possibly another RDE

One DE/DT who was injured for a good chunk of the year did not address the position. Including Lewis as a full DT, right now, the DT unit consists of Hunt, Autry, Lewis, Stewart, and UDFAs. That leaves the position dangerously thin IMO. Maybe they sign a free agent, but if they roll with what they have now, getting gashed on the interior may be the undoing of this team. That may end up a good thing, however, as Ballard tends to be thematic with his drafts. Last year, fixing the trenches was his priority, and this year he addressed team speed on defense. In both cases, the thing he addressed was what he felt the team's biggest weakness from the prior year was.

I liked the draft overall, but to me, the big question mark is what they made out of the 26th pick. Instead of Sweat or Abram, they got Banogu, Tell, and a 2020 2nd. Impossible to say if it was the right or wrong call at this point, but there's a decent chance Sweat is tearing things up by getting 10+ sacks in 2020 while Banogu and Tell barely get on the field and the Colts pass rush remains lackluster.

Just looking at the DL depth, they have to add at least one UFA body unless they're a lot higher on Stewart than they've appeared to be.