Lessons presented using mock draft simulators.

To be honest, most of the the mocks I ran were on a very simple and easy to use simulator - PFN'S basic version.

Of course there's some crazy way unlikely outcomes that pop up if one runs it enough times, like this one LOL!

11) J Chase WR LSU
42) J Oweh, ER PSU
76) G Newsome CB N'western
109) S Wade CB OSU
174) A Jackson OT Iowa
178) R Rochell CB Cent. Ark.

It was incredible luck to land Chase
at 11 and Oweh at 42; neither one of them was available at those slots more than once over 10 or so reps. That draft also lines up as an incredible accumulation of value vs The Huddle Report's Top 150...
The above mock is about as happy a marriage of value and need as I could even fantasize.

One trend that IMO had some validity, based on the depth of position groups at WR, CB and OL was the relative quality of those position players accross later rounds - particularly among CBs and occasionally the WRs in the middle rounds.

I typically refused trades, but the following mock had an opportunity or two to trade back slightly that I couldn't refuse. It's also at least somewhat more realistic than the mock I posted above.

11) M Parsons LB/ER PSU
42) T Marshall WR LSU
76) L Eichenberg OL ND
trade back one slot to acquire extra pick
110) A Robinson CB UCF
172) I Mukuamu CB SC
174) R Rochell CB Cent ARK
178) F Darby WR Ariz.St.U

Edge rusher was about the hardest position to fill if I did not grab one at 11. And I never saw a nice value pick at RB, that I wouldn't pass up for a different player at another position.

The most commonly avaliable players at 11 that IMO FIT for the GMen were

Pitts
Parsons
Waddle

I don't really think those first two, Pitts or Parsons, will be on the board at 11, but that's what the mock generator suggested over and over.