Great thread/topic with some great responses.
Outside of QB, WR, TE, and CB has the impact-gap between good and great. Both OL and DL have a bigger impact-gap between bad and good, though. With DL the obvious answer is devalue it somewhat. That doesn't mean never draft it in the 1st, but it's not a particularly scarce position, and if good enough is good enough, you probably don't need to use too many premium assets, and you should be wary of overspending overall. OL is more scarce, so it's a little more complicated. It also directly impacts your QB. So, if you're having trouble filling your OL, you may have to spend premium resources - even if good enough is good enough. It's not ideal, but it is what it is.
Awsi's points about WR and CB are great. Because the NFL is so bad at drafting WR, you often get high-end talents falling to the 2nd or even 3rd RD, and the hit rate in the 2nd is just as good as the 1st. So, to draft a WR in the 1st, I'd have to be absolutely sold on the player. With CB, fast players who are also great athletes and have a base level of skill and instincts are pretty safe. I wouldn't draft a 4.50 CB in the 1st unless he was near-perfect everywhere else. With TE, you can probably wait until at least the 2nd. Many of the best players at the position were drafted outside the 1st (Kittle, Kelce, Gronk, Ertz, Graham, etc.), so it's probably best to wait, especially since they typically take time to develop.
You also have to account for the strengths of a given class. 2020 is particularly good at WR and CB, and OT looks really good, as well. RB too, but 2019 was a rare weak class, and most years have plenty of very good options.
As Slimm first brought up a while ago, the order also matters. For a team essentially starting from scratch, WR/TE (receiving options), OL, and DB (especially CB) are the positions I'd want to be good first. Of course, all these after QB, which is so much more important than any other position. After these, you can fill in DL and LB. It obviously depends on the talent available, but that's how I'd prioritize the positions assuming the options were equal.
Outside of QB, WR, TE, and CB has the impact-gap between good and great. Both OL and DL have a bigger impact-gap between bad and good, though. With DL the obvious answer is devalue it somewhat. That doesn't mean never draft it in the 1st, but it's not a particularly scarce position, and if good enough is good enough, you probably don't need to use too many premium assets, and you should be wary of overspending overall. OL is more scarce, so it's a little more complicated. It also directly impacts your QB. So, if you're having trouble filling your OL, you may have to spend premium resources - even if good enough is good enough. It's not ideal, but it is what it is.
Awsi's points about WR and CB are great. Because the NFL is so bad at drafting WR, you often get high-end talents falling to the 2nd or even 3rd RD, and the hit rate in the 2nd is just as good as the 1st. So, to draft a WR in the 1st, I'd have to be absolutely sold on the player. With CB, fast players who are also great athletes and have a base level of skill and instincts are pretty safe. I wouldn't draft a 4.50 CB in the 1st unless he was near-perfect everywhere else. With TE, you can probably wait until at least the 2nd. Many of the best players at the position were drafted outside the 1st (Kittle, Kelce, Gronk, Ertz, Graham, etc.), so it's probably best to wait, especially since they typically take time to develop.
You also have to account for the strengths of a given class. 2020 is particularly good at WR and CB, and OT looks really good, as well. RB too, but 2019 was a rare weak class, and most years have plenty of very good options.
As Slimm first brought up a while ago, the order also matters. For a team essentially starting from scratch, WR/TE (receiving options), OL, and DB (especially CB) are the positions I'd want to be good first. Of course, all these after QB, which is so much more important than any other position. After these, you can fill in DL and LB. It obviously depends on the talent available, but that's how I'd prioritize the positions assuming the options were equal.