Don’t forget to factor in that UDFA’s have a say in the process while draft picks do not. The kid that knows his game and does his research (aided by his agent) can find a good fit that also comes with good opportunity.
We like to think that teams “care” about every pick, but in reality they do not. Some guys are just the next highest name on the board. Other times they plan on asking a guy to do something he can’t do…but draft him in hopes of “coaching him up” to do it. And then there are the situations we as fans see from a mile away, when a team gets picked by a team where he has no shot based on the current roster.
Plus when you draft a 7th rounder, there is less than 1 1/2 per team (when factoring in comp picks). With UDFA’s, we have 20 people that come to a tryout and we may pick a couple, plus anywhere from 6-12 signed after draft. There isn’t much of a difference talent wise between a 7th and an UDFA, but teams have a lot more UDFA’s on the team fighting for a spot.
In 2015… Lions drafted Corey Robinson at pick #240 OA.
I wanted them to draft La’el Collins.
He claimed he wouldn’t play for anyone if he wasn’t drafted in 1st round… but I would have called the bluff. Sitting out a full year would have delayed his abilty to get to free agency, so I think his agent would have convinced him to play.
If not… Dallas may have flipped a decent draft pick for him once the investigation concluded he played no role in that girl’s death.
