Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaka
Can somebody explain in detail, rather than just stating it as a conclusion, why they think picking an exceptional guard prospect like Nelson at #6 is too high? Virtually every projection had him going in the 5-8 range. This isn't a situation where the Colts picked someone way before they were expected to be picked. Yet it seems to be a working assumption here that taking any guard, even one of Nelson's apparent caliber, at #6 was some sort of reach. I don't get it.
I read GoBigBlue's criticism at the outset of this thread, and Chromeburn's explanation of why an OT is usually considered more valuable than a guard, but neither have really answered my question about why it is impossible for an exceptional guard prospect like Nelson to merit being picked at #6, or why GBB's belief that an opposing team can simply avoid a guard would not also apply to an OT picked at the top of the draft.
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If I had to oversimplify your first question? Because you can have an All-Pro guard who busts his ass and does a great job, but is offset by bad OL play around him, and your QB still gets hurt or run game still shut down because the right side of your line is still incompetent.
Whereas you can have an occasional Pro Bowl MLB who is a threat to make a play any down, regardless of the talent around him, because he's off-ball and in a position to affect the play beyond a single matchup.