For general managers like Jason Licht of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFL Draft is an exercise in filling team needs with securing talented players who can help your franchise win for years to come.
It’s not an exact science, and it isn’t easy. Mock drafting is something most - if not all - NFL staffs do, to try and anticipate the ups and downs of the draft proceedings to gauge when they might target specific players.
Fans and media alike participate in the exercise by going through what they envision each team doing when the selection meeting gets underway.