There are certain phrases used in NFL-related discourse you typically only hear around the draft. One of those is “best player available.”
The question about drafting for need or going with whoever is the top-ranked player on the board — i.e. the best player available — is as old as the draft itself, and will always be somewhat relevant. Even with teams using multi-dimensional boards that stack both horizontally and vertically, there is potential for friction in this debate.
For the quarterback-needy New England Patriots, need will likely be a driving motivator at No. 3 overall; drafting a QB appears to be the likeliest outcome at this point in time.