Being the best defenseman in a forward heavy draft class doesn't raise his value to me.
I have a bias toward forwards on the top 15. Odds of getting an impact D in later rounds are better than getting an impact forward there. Odds on acquiring impact forwards drop quickly after the top five, ten, first two rounds, etc.
I don't think D prospects pan out at a higher rate than forwards which might weigh against that.
You also only have 6 d slots and need 13 forwards. So that weighs slightly for me, too.
I am a BPA guy, but in the first round, if there isn't a clear step up between the D and a forward, I think the forward has to take it.
I think Byram is a stud. I think he's definitely in the Hughes, Dobson, Boqvist (ignoring injuries) group, and above Bouchard. I just don't see him at a Dahlin tier prospect that would justify passing the best available forwards before this point.
If I thought he was a clear step above the earlier forwards, I'd take him earlier. I had Turcotte lower than most, and I think Byram is on par as a prospect. I don't think he's clearly better than that, so I took the best forward.
The fact the Coyotes desperately need talent doesn't shape my list much. If I was the Oilers, my list wouldn't change much. Byram would be in the mix with Turcotte, Krebs, Zegras, and I wouldn't allow need to take him before that point.
I just want the draft to add value to the system. You can re-arrange the value later if needed.