Atlanta Falcons 2012 NFL Draft: Need or Best Player Available?

It’s a never-ending debate that always rears its head around draft time: should teams draft players based on need or select the best player available? Obviously, a combination of both would be best, but that’s rarely the case.

This year, the Atlanta Falcons enter the NFL draft with needs all over the place. Though based strictly on the year ahead, one of the Falcons’ most glaring weaknesses is the left offensive tackle position, where Will Svitek was an improvement over Sam Baker last season, but far from elite status.

Conversely, one of Atlanta’s lesser immediate priorities is tight end, where future hall of famer Tony Gonzalez is the uncontested starter for 2012.  

So what happens if the Falcons have to choose between the best offensive tackle available and a higher overall-ranked tight end with their opening pick at #55 overall?

In my opinion, they should draft the tight end. And here’s why.

If one thing’s for sure when it comes to the draft, it’s that it isn’t a sure thing. No one can predict who will develop into the next Payton Manning or end up being a Ryan Leaf-like bust. The best thing teams can depend on is potential, and that deciding factor alone is why selecting the best player available is the better choice in the long-run.

Falcons fans should know first-hand the consequences of drafting by need over potential.  

You may remember back in the 2007 draft, Atlanta had a gaping hole at defensive end after Patrick Kerney left to sign a big contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, the linebacker position was all set in the middle with long-time starter Keith Brooking.

So, it would make sense for the Falcons to address defensive end before linebacker in the draft, right?

Well, then-general manager Rich McKay did just that by selecting unproven defensive end Jamaal Anderson with the eighth overall pick in the draft, letting linebacker Patrick Willis—widely considered a top six overall prospect at the time—slip to the San Francisco 49ers three selections later.

And we all know how that turned out: Anderson proved to be nothing more than a bust, recording just 4.5 sacks in four seasons with the Falcons. Willis on the other hand, is arguably the top inside linebacker in the NFL today.

Of course, there are exceptions to this strategy. After all, it would be pretty extreme to suggest the Falcons should select quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the second round of this year’s draft if he happened to have a higher overall ranking than offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, for example.

Yet history shows that teams with the most consistent success are those who draft best, and those who draft best are those who select the best players. Reaching for a guy who might be slightly better than the team’s current depth at his position isn’t worth passing on a player who has the potential to be a game-changer at his respective one, even if he would fill a lesser need.

Besides, if there’s a position that’s so great of a need that it requires a player who can come in and make an immediate impact, how would reaching for a lower-ranked prospect solve the problem?

And that brings us back to this year’s draft: if Atlanta has the opportunity to select who they believe could be the next Tony Gonzalez, they shouldn’t think twice to pick him.

The point of the draft is to find the players that can best contribute to your team not only in the present, but in the future as well. If that player happens to come along at a time when his specific position isn’t yet a priority, it shouldn’t matter: every position becomes a priority at some point.

Again, drafting by best player available alone isn’t always the right choice—need definitely should be taken into consideration. However, putting a bit more value in overall potential over immediate need is ultimately what gives the best chance for long-term success in the NFL.