In the world of the NFL draft, the two dominant philosophical approaches are drafting for need and drafting for the best player available or “BPA.” Drafting for need is typified by selecting players to fill current gaps. Drafting BPA is characterized by selecting the highest graded player available, even if the team is “set” at that position.
Inherently, the two approaches aren’t entirely exclusive of each other. A team drafting a safety will still take the best one available. A team with similar grades on two prospects will take the player that best matches the team’s needs.