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The NFL Draft has become one of the most anticipated events in the sports calender. There is something exciting about having new players being added to your favorite team. It's like watching your favorite TV show add characters, maybe your new hero, maybe your new villain. The Draft is often where teams success and failure can be traced back to. There are a few rules of drafting that teams often forget.

Rule 1 - Never trade your first round pick unless it's for a franchise quarterback. Franchise quarterbacks are the most valuable thing to a team, more than a coach, a running back... anything. A great quarterback can make bad teams good, and good teams great. No linebacker or wide receiver is worth a first round pick via trade.

Rule 2 - Never pass on a franchise quarterback unless you already have one. As good of a job Jake Long did as the number one overall pick for Miami last year, passing on Matt Ryan will probably haunt them for years. How many teams passed on Big Ben? Dan Marino? and now Jay Cutler? The answer is too many. Cutler as a young franchise quarterback carried the Broncos with the 3rd worst defense and a revolving door at running back to a .500 season. Big Ben makes plays that's helped push Pittsbugh two 2 superbowls! That's what a good quarterback can do, and you should never pass one up in the draft if you don't have one.

Rule 3 - Don't fall in love with potential. There are players who look great running around cones, the ones that have all the measurable. The dominate in the skill drills at the combine and pro day, but they don't translate that onto the field. Last year it was Vernon Gholston, his rise to the top of the draft board was based more on measurable and potential than production. He was a non factor last year for the New York Jets as the 6th pick in the draft... that's bad. The best way to study these incoming players is film, you'll see they're production. That's the 'P' word with the most meaning not potential. You can see if a wide out creates separation, or if a linemen shuffles his feet well. I'm not saying the combine or pro days are bad, in fact they're essential, just don't fall in love with a player based on they're times and measurable.

Rule 4 - Yes, character counts but it's not as cut and dry as some people think it is. We forget that these players are college students and they've probably made a few mistakes, it's not the end of the world. I've seen first round players fall into the third round because they had a couple of speeding tickets. That player gets drafted and goes on to have a wonderful (problem free) career. Now there are those who have multiple reports, drugs, fights, etc... Those I would avoid, but not everyone with one little problem.

There you have it, 4 simple rules to fallow in this years NFL Draft. I for one am excited to see who the new heroes and villains will be for my team, the answers are revealed April 25th.

Learn more about this author, Joshua Mcintosh.
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