Conclusion
Really, all these draft trends can do is give you an idea of who might be available when it’s your turn to pick. Each team will prioritize based on their big boards and positional needs. When looking at the draft trends and the player rankings, I would personally plan on drafting OLB, ILB, and safety, based on the trends and the talent. However, the Titans appear very interested in a WR, so I expect to see them draft one at some point (probably the third round). Their first pick will set the tone for the rest of the draft, and, based on who the Titans are interviewing, they may be deciding between taking the best player available at 25 (like an ILB, Jackson, or Moore) or focusing on need (Sweat, Hubbard).
It’s important to remember that these are just trends, not absolutes. The talent distribution from year to year is always different and is ultimately the biggest factor in the final draft order. But I do think draft trends shed light on teams’ thought processes and preferences. Thankfully, we are less than two weeks away from seeing how this all plays out.
*Determining “edge rushers” involved judgement calls on my part. I included all DEs and judged players listed as “linebackers” on a case by case basis depending on how they were used in college. It’s admittedly not perfect, but I think it’s pretty close.