I recently finished reading an article on bleacher report about drafting the “safe pick.” It more or less states there aren’t safe picks and widely held beliefs about the topic are wrong. Here are some takeaways –
– OL/DL are the second most likely positions in the NFL to be busts. Offensive linemen in particular have a reputation for being “safe” picks. Wide receivers unsurprisingly are the most likely to bust.
– “Physical specimens” can be busts in the NFL. History’s shown us Robert Gallery and Aaron Curry as examples of players with “physical beast” potential who simply can’t handle the transition.
– No position or trait guarantees a player will succeed at the next level. Schalter summed it up nicely with this quote:
“Ultimately, the biggest factor in whether a player succeeds or fails in the NFL isn’t his height, weight, college stats, workout numbers, teammate testimonials, clean urine or clean bill of health. It’s whether the team that drafts him understands his strengths and weaknesses and will put him in a position to maximize those strengths and minimize those weaknesses.” – Ty Schalter, NFL National Lead Writer, bleacherreport.com.
Gridiron Seasonal 