In a salary-cap league, hitting on draft picks with cheap, fixed contracts is important to building a competitive roster. Furthermore, finding players throughout all rounds of the draft who can outproduce their draft slots and provide extra value is what separates the best teams from the pack.
The 2013 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, for example, were led by a third-round quarterback in Russell Wilson, a fifth-round cornerback in Richard Sherman and a second-round linebacker in Bobby Wagner all on their rookie deals. All of those players outplayed their draft slots and propelled the Seahawks to a championship and another Super Bowl appearance the following year.