Football Outsiders. com recently looked back at the 2006 NFL draft. They went through every position and looked at the "Highest pick", "Best player", "Biggest bust", and "Best value". While many of the picks seem sensible, a notable omission is Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth.
Whitworth is likely used to the lack of national respect. He has yet to make a Pro Bowl, though he has been identified as one of the best tackles the past couple of seasons. He admittedly struggled with his run blocking this past season, citing tendinitis and weight loss. However, he was still very good in pass protection.
In the Football Outsiders article, they cite New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans as the best offensive line selection from that draft. They also name him as the offensive linemen with the best value from that draft. It makes sense to list Evans as the player with the most value, as he was the 108th overall pick out of Bloomsburg University. We might be reaching here, but it would have made sense to give both Whitworth and Evans some love. Whitworth could have easily been the best pick, while Evans still maintained the best value pick.
Another familiar choice for best player was former Bengal and current Houston Texan cornerback Johnathan Joseph. Joseph made his first Pro Bowl this past season.