The NFL draft is just around the corner and teams are currently conducting their top-30 visits with draft hopefuls and doing medical rechecks on players who were flagged at the combine. As they prepare for the draft, teams are building their respective boards. It’s important for fans to understand how these boards are developed, and what goes into ranking players.
Teams will not have hundreds of prospects on their boards; instead, they will have a more streamlined list of around 150 total players. These players are ranked based on where the team would feel comfortable taking them and also take into account roster needs. The primary consideration for ranking players on the board is whether or not the prospect is a fit for what the team wants to do on offense or defense.
In this thought exercise, we will explore positional needs and what each team may hope to accomplish in the first round of the draft. Teams need to consider various factors when building their boards, such as work ethic, medical evaluations, athleticism, production, personality, and other qualities. However, ultimately, it’s about finding a player that can help them win games on offense or defense.
To get more in-depth analysis of the NFL Draft, fans can listen to “With the First Pick,” a year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. Fans can find more draft coverage on CBSSports.com
