The NFL Draft: Where 32 billion-dollar corporations sign seven (or so) millionaires to be the future of their gridiron industry.

There is no game played, not one touchdown pass will be thrown, and not one tackle missed or made. After only a few picks by each team, a whole lot of speculation and grades will thrown around by people who, themselves, have never actually made a pick in the NFL Draft, or been picked in the NFL Draft.

Nonetheless, grades will be thrown out, draft winners will be crowned, and those seen as bad picks will be bashed. Not based on anything other than instant, over-reactive opinion. There is no time in media for patience when report cards are due by the Broncos’ last pick at #253.

Fans want grades on each of the Broncos’ 10 draft picks, and grades they shall have. Let the speculation begin!

There is one certain way to get a poor grade by the so-called draft scouts and gurus:

Pass on the Best Player Available. Aka, the BPA

But guess what? Best player available doesn’t exist. BPA is a myth, a farce. It’s a term made up by the media and hated by NFL personnel.

No team ever takes BPA: Team choose for need, they have to.

There is literally a better chance of seeing the Loch-Ness Monster playing poker with a Yeti and Big Foot than there is a team taking a player who doesn’t fit any sort of need, especially in the first two rounds.

Broncos fans who oppose this notion will point to Bradley Roby and Shane Ray and call those selections BPA. I’m sorry to say, but those guys certainly fit a need.

Roby fit perfectly with Chris Harris and Aqib Talib. This trio allows the Broncos to man up and lock down up to three wide-receivers. This makes allows the defense to play fast in man coverage and get after the QB, without worry of secondary help in the form of zone coverage. It also immensely helps defending the run game, where with those three patrolling elsewhere, you can pack the box and not worry as much about safety help over the top. In an NFL that features three-WR sets the majority of the time, this is a very valuable weapon to have. In fact most NFL teams’ front offices are looking for not one, not two, but at least three cover corners who can lock down man to man.

In selecting Roby, the Broncos gained security. Now cornerback is a position of great depth and strength for the Broncos. The No Fly Zone is now complete.

The addition of Ray to the front seven was based on circumstance and need as well. Yes, Ray dropped, and the Broncos took advantage, but he also filled a need.

Ray was selected at a time when Von Miller was still somewhat uncertain. Von, in a contract year, was not guaranteed to continue on in orange and blue and losing him to another team at some point was a real possibility, franchise tag or not.

DeMarcus Ware was a question mark in regards to injuries and limited playing time. His future in the NFL was definitely not growing longer. Ware, as we saw this offseason, could have walked away from football at any point in time. The Broncos had a need at OLB, and Shane Ray, at pick No. 23 of the 2015 NFL Draft, filled a need, and has done so very well.

In regards to the unicorn that is BPA, there is also the fact of simple math. The NFL has roster restrictions and those are set in place to keep the league tight and not allow owners to overspend and stash players who could play for other teams.

Take Broncos man of steel Andy Janovich as an example. Janovich, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, became a fan favorite on day one. (At least this fan’s favorite.)

Janovich broke tackles, broke facemasks and unfortunately broke his own body in the process, missing the end of the 2016 season. Janovich was a great fit for Gary Kubiak‘s offense and an honest asset in the system into which he was drafted.

Enter new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who at times has totally eliminated the fullback all together. McCoy, in certain spots, has gone without a FB in order to open up another spot on the 53-man roster. Don’t think roster spots are important? Think again, Andy Janovich; the man who haunts linebackers, and give the sweats to frightened defensive ends, might not even be on the team in 2017. (Let’s hope for my sake he is!)

A 53-man roster doesn’t allow for extra anything. Fullbacks, tight ends, pass rushers, d-linemen, o-linemen, cornerbacks, safeties, emergency QBs. They can all get cut or moved around on other units in order to make a roster work.

The Broncos have 10 players to add with draft picks in this year’s draft. If they don’t need a guy, don’t believe he can be an upgrade at a position, they won’t waste a draft pick on him. Picks are too precious and positions spots are too valuable.

And who’s to say who the best player available is? The guy who never drafted anyone?

BPA is as real as the Chargers making the playoffs. It rarely happens, and when it does, it doesn’t make any sense.

Denver Broncos 2017 Draft Guide:

Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 51 overall
Round 3: No. 82 overall
Round 3: No. 101 overall (Compensatory)
Round 4: No. 127 overall
Round 5: No. 177 overall (Compensatory)
Round 6: No. 203 overall (via Titans)
Round 7: No. 238 overall
Round 7: No. 252 overall (Compensatory)
Round 7: 253 overall (Compensatory)