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If you were an NFL GM on Draft Day, would you take the Best Player Available or the Position you need most?

I asked a Previous Question saying the Lions should get Taylor Mays. Who is an Absolute Beast Btw. The Best safety prospect since Ronnie Lott, he's 6"4 with a 4.3 40yd dash and can hit like a Linebacker. This guy is an Animal. I understand that the Lions need a QB and O-Line blah blah blah....but why would you draft guys on what you need rather than the Best Player available. Andre Smith is a good O-Lineman, but c'mon you need to grab the Player with the most talent and thats Taylor Mays or Michael Crabtree (but they wont get Crabtree). I hate when GMs draft on what their weaknesses are, if you want an O-Lineman you can just sign them via Offseason Free-Agency like my Jets did last offseason (Faneca, Damien Woody, etc). My Jets made the mistake of taking D'Brickashaw Ferguson over QB Matt Leinart and QB Jay Cutler in the '06 draft. We needed an O-Lineman back then, but he wasn't the best guy on the Draftboard. Shaq I'm just about ready to Block your Annoying ass! Malcom Jenkins is a good CB. But Taylor Mays is Bigger and Faster (yes he's faster than a CB) and hits much harder. Mays covers so much ground back there. You idiot, learn some Football. Not to mention Mays is only 20 years old.

Public Comments

1. The position i need the most
2. Position I need.
3. Hes not the best player available you idiot. Hes not even the best defensive back in the draft.....ever heard of Malcolm Jenkins?
4. First day. Absolutely based on position I need (Unless their is an absolute steal, which Mays isn't). On the second day, if I've addressed all my burning needs, then I grab the most talent.
5. If I were a GM I would be going after players that will help the team right away. I would also be contacting other GMs and seeing what kind of deals I can make with them, trying to see if I can get more picks.
6. Dude chill out just because he doesn't agree with you is nothing to get upset about. Mays isn't even the best defensive player. Jenkins is better. I would pick on need btw.
7. Hmm tough question. I think I'd go with the best player that is available. If you go with a need, then you'd have to develop him further when he gets to camp and hope that by the start of the season he'll turn out to be a play maker at that position of need. Why not just focus on the players you have at that position and develop them? Why start from an even less experienced college player when you already have players that at least have experienced the NFL level of play and has a head start on the newly drafted player? Not to mention what if your need is WR but the years draft didn't really have any depth at WR... would you still draft a WR when you know that a certain DL is a beast? Doesn't make sense to me. Also if you pick the best player available at the time, you'll get the most out of your pick and in most likeliness he gets to learn from others more experienced and doesn't have the extra pressure to perform well on opening day. He gets to develop at his own pace. A lot of GM's believe in drafting the best player at the time and I agree with this strategy. Makes more sense to me.
8. go with need- lions should draft crabtree-they alrady got rid of 3 receivers because of drugs, whining or just plain sucks (another usc bust)
9. the postion they need and for the lions its either sam bradford or the georgia qb not mays
10. To me it would depend on how much better the "Best player available" really was. If there was a large gap I would take the BPA. One reason for this is my understanding of the NFL contract structure. All contracts are essentially a series of one year deals, meaning you could free up a slot to get your BPA some playing time pretty easily if needed. Regarding the Jenkins vs. Mays debate, I would gladly take either one although I'd lean slightly to Jenkins just because shutdown corners are more rare than big hitting safeties. I looked around and the "experts" seem to be split as to who will go first but everyone I saw had the Lions picking a QB at #1.
11. It depends. If my biggest need's highest rated player isn't rated high enough to be above my next pick, you take the best player. If your going for similarly talented people with only a small difference in overall ability, you take what you need. You don't draft a WR #1 overall when you have 2 probowlers, even if he's the next coming of Jerry Rice. Same thing if you have a huge need at QB and the only QB (theoretical) isn't rated until the 7th, don't draft him first either.
12. i agree with you... if i am the lions i would have my heart set on Mays, that being said i would try to trade down because he wont go number one overall. In fact, if i was a GM for any team that had the 1st over all pick i would attempt to trade down, because some times the safest and best picks could a little bit later, and you could pick up an extra 3rd or more to help fill some other needs or add some depth.
13. Best Player available. For example the colts. Lets say its the draft. Ok so the colts might need idk mabey A guard. But all the other great college players are picked already. But there is one great QB left. Now U should think. well I do have a 2nd overall pick to get a guard. Ok so U get the QB in the draft. and you use your 2nd overall pick to get your guard. Ok. Now Lets say you did not get the QB. Its week 3. Colts are on the offense. O no. Peyton Manning got Sacked and it looks like his throwing arm is broken. O no. we dont have a QB now. Now do you see what im saying? YOU PICK THE BEST PLAYER LEFT IN THE DRAFT.
14. It depends on what pick it is and how many picks you have. I like the Lions taking Mays, but they could trade down a couple spots to get him. STL and KC both need a QB, and OAK needs a WR(at least). I just don't see anyone taking a safety first overall, even if he turns out to be a Bob Sanders or Ed Reed. sad.