Or like how GMs picked Barret Hayton, Zadina and KK ahead of Hughes and Dobson.
Sure i can imagine they value defensemen more in general, unless the team believes that forward is BPA (Demidov) or has unique size and position advantage (Lindstrom). IE Montreal taking Slafkovsky, a winger no less, ahead of two great D prospects in Nemec and Jiricek.
In this year's case, besides Levshunov and Dickinson, the other defensemen have question marks. (You could even argue the first two aren't surefire #1D either) so after those two are gone, the field is pretty open - that's where Demidov and Lindstrom probably slide in.
I don't think the same of the remaining forwards, they'll likely go after a run on D.