Quote
Ramsdude
Found this post on another board from a guy who found it on another board lol. I thought it was interesting and worth sharing. I take no credit or blame...
Here are the last 14 years worth of picks at the #23 spot in the NFL draft - gives a lot of perspective on trading the pick for Brandin Cooks
2017 – Evan Engram . WR NYG : One of best; 64 rec.722 yards; 6 TDs
2016 – Laquon Treadwell . WR . MN -- 21 Rec 215 yards in 2 yrs; not good
2015 – Shane Ray . DE Denver - 3 wrist surgeries - not much
2014 – Dee Ford . DE . KC - undistinguished career - most backup
2013 Sharrif Floyd DT - 9 sack - nerve damage to knee
2012 Riley Reiff OT several teams - middle of pack LT's last yr with MN
2011 Danny Watkins OG . Philadelphia - never played more than a few games
2010 Bryan Bulaga OT Green Bay - up and down - oft-injured
2009 Michael Oher OT Balt. - concussions ended career early '16; 2 good yrs
2008 R. Mendenhall RB 6 yrs; 3 ~ 1000 yds but 4 yd avg best - 3 not good
2007 Dwayne Bowe WR KC Chiefs - very good
2006 Davin Joseph . G . Tampa Bay - good career with Bucs - 2 Pro Bowls
2005 Fabian Washington CB Oakland - 6 yrs - so-so career
2004 Marcus Tubbs DT Seattle - very few games and washed out
I don't think just looking at 23 covers it.
Different teams rank different players differently. There's no rigid slotting of players nor could there ever be such a thing.
So if you want to see what was done with pick 23, you have to ask, who else was available at that pick. If you do the first round that's picks 23-31. If you want to be genuinely realistic I would go 10 picks into the 2nd round too.
So looking at just 2012 for example, Using the criteria I just described, who was available at 23 in 2012? It's not just Rieff. It also includes (to be selective) guys like DeCastro, Hightower, Zeitler, Harrison Smith, Derek Wolfe, Mitchell Schwartz, and Cordy Glenn.
As in--a good drafting team can get a good player at 23. There's more than just one guy, and no one is mysteriously somehow slotted to be pick 23.
I defend the Cooks trade, but this is not a good approach to that. I am not going to defend it by acting as if there were always only going to be one guy slotted for pick 23 every year.
...
