Draft is important, the NFL says — but not all-important

The draft isn't as important as the NFL would have us believe. After all, Vikings standout wide receiver Adam Thielen went undrafted.@SouhanstribRemember, the NFL draft is all-important. The TV tells us so.

There is no way to win if you do not move up in the draft to land the sure thing, or move down in the draft to accumulate assets, or take the player that you were so surprised to see available when you picked. You absolutely must take a great player with your first pick.

There is only one thing wrong with the previous two paragraphs: They’re lies.

The draft feels important because the NFL has made it feel important, and because the draft is filled with mystery and speculation, and every…