Best Player Available.
It's a tried-and-true method of stockpiling the top talent possible in the NFL Draft. Teams that worry less about "need" and select the best player available give themselves the greatest chance of nailing the selection.
There have been countless examples of teams eschewing a perceived need for an undeniable talent who fell into their laps. The Rams had two solid defensive tackles when they took Aaron Donald in 2014. Going further back, the Vikings had Cris Carter and Jake Reed at receiver and still swooped up Randy Moss when he fell to them. Heck, if you want to widen the parameters, credit former Lions GM Matt Millen for taking Calvin Johnson No. 2 overall even though he had used his previous 75 first-round picks at receiver.
New Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians believes BPA is the only way to go. If that player lines up with your "need," so be it.
"You can't draft for need," Arians said this week, via the team's official website. "You draft for need, you get fired. Draft the best player, and if you've got two of them now you've got three of them. Just take the best players available for you. Now, if you've got four players right there together and one of them is a need, that's the home run. That's the home run."
The Bucs own the No. 5 overall pick and have been linked almost exclusively to defensive players -- like linebacker Devin White or rusher Josh Allen -- a huge need. It's also a draft loaded with defensive talent.
There is a good chance the best player available when the Bucs are on the clock tonight will fill a massive need.
And while there have been some rumors about teams trying to move into the top five for a QB -- i.e. the Washington Redskins -- Arians suggested the Bucs won't be moving from their pick unless they get bowled over by an offer.
"It would have to be some hellacious picks, because there are five guys on the board I love," he said. "You'd have to throw the bank and open a vault for me and Jason to probably move back. That's not saying that we wouldn't ... just looking at the guys that are there. Really, [it's] six guys that are once-in-a-generation-type players. I feel great about this draft."
Sitting at No. 5, one of those "once-in-a-generation-type players" will be on the board for Arians. And he'll gladly take that pick to the bank.
