When you try to evaluate draft grades, the way most people do them is by comparing the picks each team makes based on the value and talent the player possesses.
For example, if player X is the third-ranked offensive tackle on the board with a pre-draft player ranking of 10th overall. They are selected pick 15, but they are the fifth offensive tackle to be drafted. That’s a value pick.
On the flip side, player Y is the sixth-ranked offensive tackle with a pre-draft player ranking of 25th overall. He is the fourth offensive tackle selected at 11th overall. That would be considered a reach.
This is a very incomplete science, as everything is based on projection, but with the goal being to get the best players, the goal is to utilize the best process.
The consensus board from Pro Football Network’s Arif Hasan is the best tool to gauge when it comes to what kind of value you get from where a player was selected. Naturally, the higher the selection, the more value variance you have. If you draft a player in round five with a 50-player variance, that’s less impactful than if you draft a player in the first round with a 10-player variance.
How did the Vikings do compared to the consensus? Let’s take a look.