Draft Anticipation Rising

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 25: The Minnesota Vikings make the tenth overall pick during Day 1 of the NFL Draft on April 25, 2024 at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, MI. (Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The NFL offseason is tediously long. If your team doesn’t make the playoffs, it’s a long eight months until you can enjoy competitive football again.

To make the time go (somewhat) faster, I like to break the offseason into four quarters: the first covers the start of the new league year and the initial free-agent frenzy; the second covers the NFL draft; the third covers OTAs/minicamps; and the fourth covers training camp and preseason. We’re now in the second quarter, with the draft just two weeks away. By all accounts, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski is all-in on the best player available (BPA) strategy – or at least that’s what he wants people to believe.

This comes from the Vikings’ YouTube channel: “I think it’s the biggest reason why a lot of players fail in this business…you force a need. And for a lot of reasons it doesn’t work out, and you pass on a player of higher ability for a position of need…it may be old school, but if you get your board set right, and look for the best player available, I think it’s going to lead you down the right path. ” Not sure I’d be on board with this if you’re a 3-14 team undertaking a complete rebuild.

In that case, I’m an advocate for building the trenches first, then working your way out. But I certainly agree with the merits of this strategy when you’re in the Vikings’ position: a team with a talented, playoff-ready roster and Super Bowl aspirations. It should also be noted that the term “best player available” is entirely subjective.