One thing I have learned in the 17 or so years I have been posting here is that posters come and go. While some quality posters have left the board during that time, I am not talking about a particular poster.
Nevertheless, there are, for want of better phrasing, philosophical absences that normally arise ghis time of year that have been nowhere to be found in my readings of the boards. I have yet to see anyone arguing for BAP this year. I also see nobody advocating drafting defense anywhere in the first three rounds, especially in the first.
On its face, the lack of BAP or defensive advocacy is understandable. Offense is clearly the deficient side, with needs at every area of the offense. It is close to universal truth that Bortles is gone, and Kessler failed miserably in his stint. The team was so disappointed in Fournette, TC publicly trashed him and tried to rescind his bonus, an act that is still being decided by the league and NFLPA. Hyde was a disappointment as a midseason replacement for Fournette. Yeldon and Grant are likely gone in free agency. We have no true answer at WR. Most are unknowns for various reasons. TE is completely devoid of talent, especially that defenses have to respect. The offensive line could have to replace the entire right side, just months after injuries depleted the available talent on the o line to ridiculously low levels.
However, the lack of pure BAP or defensive advocacy is not fully understood upon closer scrutiny. The experts on NFL Network, ESPN a d various internet sites are virtually unanimous in thinking this is a defensive heavy draft. It is not out of the question to see the top five picks become a defensive monopoly. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network's new lead draft analyst, said 21 of 32 possible first round draft picks will be on the defensive side of the ball. Furthermore, it's not as if last year's defense was the reincarnation of the '85 Bears, or for that matter, the '17 Jaguars. There were several performances that left questions regarding how good the defense is, including embarrassing efforts against Dallas and the second Tennessee game. The run defense left a lot to be desired, and the pass rush was not as strong. The same cap concerns that led to last year's draft strategy still loom over this team, which takes on added significance when dealing with the contracts of Ramsey, Jack, and Ngakoue. Finally, age could soon become a factor with Calais Campbell, Gipson, and Dareus. There seems plenty of justification for going defense early under a BAP and needs analysis, yet few seem to be advancing those arguments this year.
Why do you think that is?
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
