A few ways the lack of a CBA affects the draft

[X-Era]

1) No holes will be filled prior to the draft. Usually free agency goes first and teams bolster their roster and add pieces to fill holes. This year, teams will have to try to fill holes from the draft first. Whats the potential impact? It's possible that teams will not be as risky with their picks, they can't afford to draft non-need positions. Of course the flip side is that teams will expect to have free agency at some point. Which means they can still draft whom they like knowing they still have another chance to add players when free agency does finally come around.

2) The top picking team can't sign their guy prior to the draft. This may affect the Bills. By signing or even negotiating with players, the top team revealed their plans so to speak which helped anyone below them to formulate their own plans. Now, I think the teams pretty much know the pool of players that Carolina will be looking at. But, guys who may sneak into the equation are real possibilities like Gabbert and Newton. If the Bills have genuine interest in either or both, they will be flying more blind on draft day not knowing whether the Panthers are serious about drafting one. They can speculate, and will of course, but it becomes much more stable a situation when the team actually begins to negotiate. The Panthers could throw a curve ball which may throw the next few teams into a bit more chaos.

[Jeff1220]

3.) No trading picks for players in the draft. Only picks for picks can happen w/o a CBA.

[Buddo]

At the very top of the draft, it certainly does make life more interesting. Not being able to sign the #1 pick ahead of the draft, makes life a bit trickier for teams after that pick, at least in part, because you get a better idea of who the #1 pick is going to be, from at the least, who that team has talked contract numbers to. That narrows your field down a lot, even if the pick hasn't signed.
A lot more planning and scenarios, are going to have to be put in place because of this.
Previously, with the prior knowledge of who the pick is going to be, you then can go in a few different directions, and have your options built up already. Now, you have to look at a lot more scenarios, and be prepared to make your pick accordingly.
Strategy wise, I think you just have to pick your poison and stick with it. You either are still prepared to take prospects who need a fair bit of development, or you shy away from them, in favour of the guys who are more NFL ready, but with less upside.
The only position really, I see that as being a 'major' aspect of, would be QB. If you are going to draft a QB that needs a lot of 'development', I think you need to look seriously at how much extra time, the lack of a CBA will add, into that development, particularly if you are looking to draft one 'early'.