The Bills have holes to fill on both the offensive and
defensive sides of the ball in the upcoming draft. With the most glaring
needs at the WR, TE and CB positions, this is how I finally see it
playing out for them on draft day.
Round 1 (11) Leodis McKelvin CB
(Troy) although the Bills are in desperate need of a big possession
receiver, the Bills have stated they will take the "Highest Rated"
player on their board. The Bills might not want to gamble on what many
consider a reach for a wideout at the 11 spot opting to go after another
big need at CB that can not only produce immediately in Jauron’s Cover-2
scheme but can also be an explosive return man. McKelvin is viewed by
many as the top rated corner in the draft and is a freakishly good
athlete who had 9 returns for touchdowns during his college career. With
a little luck the Bills might find themselves with a shutdown type
corner, something they have lacked in recent years since the departure
of Winfield and Clements in Free Agency.
Round 2 (34) via trade with Atlanta for 2(41) and 3 (72)
picks Malcolm Kelly WR (Oklahoma) In an aggressive move,
The Bills move up in Round 2 to select Kelly who has seemed to drop
significantly in recent weeks after horrendous Pro-Day workouts. Kelly a
productive wideout with possibly the best hands in this draft class does
not have top end speed but would still be a great fit for the Bills and
would complement Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish’s elite speed game with a
solid target not afraid to go over the middle as well as a red zone stud
in the mold of Keyshawn Johnson. If Kelly does fall into the second
round the bills would be foolish not to move up to grab him.
Round 3 (71) Kellen Davis TE (Michigan
St.) Davis, a gifted athlete who played both DE and TE last year for the
Spartans has prototypical size (6’6", 259 lbs) as well as good speed and
solid route running skills. Davis would be a great red zone target and
would be another big offensive weapon for Trent Edwards to use in the
passing game.
Round 4 (114) Tommy Blake DE-(Kansas St.)
Scouts had projected him before last season as a potential 1st
rounder but during his senior season had some off the field issues and
was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder. Blake is now on medication and his
condition now seems under control. Nobody questions his talent and
overall athletic ability and the Bills could definitely use him after
last year's lack of ability to get to the QB. They could take a chance
that could pay off big if they are willing to take on his extra baggage
and find a way to keep him focused on his game.
Round 4 (132) Geno Hayes OLB (Florida St.)
the bills lack depth at LB and Hayes is a player that can fly around the
field and make plays. He Has shown good ability to read QB's and his
athletic ability allows him to brake up screen passes. Hayes would also
be a great addition to the special teams unit.
Round 5 (147) Mike Hart RB (Michigan) Hart
is said to be too small to be an effective every down back in the NFL.
But what can't be measured are the intangibles this kid brings to the
table. He's a high character guy who's been the leader on and off the
field for the wolverines since day one. He’s highly competitive and is
tough for his size. Hart will fall far on draft day because of his size
but Warrick Dunn whom Hart has been compared to has proven that even
small RB's can be productive at the next level and although the RB
position is one of great need, you can never have enough quality guys at
this position.
Round 6 (179) Lionel Dotson DT
(Arizona) good athlete who consistently breaks up plays in the backfield
and has quick footwork. Could prove to be highly productive as an
undertackle at the next level especially next to a guy like Stroud. Will
add needed depth and should benefit by going to a team that rotates out
their interior linemen as the Bills tend to do.
Round 7 (219) Trea Williams CB (South
Florida) Ball Hawk corner that was overshadowed by Mike Jenkins at USF.
Leaves school with a record 16 int's in four seasons. Small in size
(5'9" 190lbs) but plays with a chip on his shoulder and likes to prove
the doubters wrong. Williams is not the greatest tackler but he is a
hard worker and would benefit by playing in a zone scheme such as the
Bills use.
Round 7 (224) DJ Hall WR (Alabama) Tall
receiver with deep speed and jumping ability who was very productive at
the college level. Separates well from defenders and should develop into
an effective third or forth WR that can also be used as a threat in
goaline situations. Reminds me of Patrick Crayton.
Round (251) Chris McDuffie OG (Clemson) A
big (6'7" 331lbs) scrappy kid who plays with a mean streak. Played
through several injuries in college and will not stop until the whistle
blows. Bee high on this kid for quite some time and i think he will get
overlooked on draft day. Could e0nd up being a nice pick.
On
February 29th, The NFL’s free agency period will begin
and according to my calculations, the Bills will be in the vicinity
of 20 million dollars under the cap to begin the free agency period.
Now although the Bills intend to retain Marv Levy’s cash to the cap
philosophy, I still think the Bills could make some moves for
quality players at some key positions that could change the outlook
on the draft and the direction they intend to go, especially with
the 11th pick. The following are some of those players I
think the Bills might want to target.
Bernard Berrian WR– The wide receiver position is one the
Bills definitely need to upgrade. Peerless price has seen better
days and with the presumable departure of Sam Aiken, the Bills
receiving corps just keeps getting smaller. Berrian is a guy that I
believe would fit in well with the Bills and has the youth (just
turned 27) and speed to accentuate what Lee Evans already can do. My
one concern is that I have heard that one of the main reasons he
wants out of Chicago is the cold weather but I’m sure it’s nothing
the right deal wouldn’t resolve if it was true…
Bryant Johnson WR- Now I know some of you will take issues with
this, but here me out. Although he has never lived up to the first
round selection price he was picked at, I believe this guy could end
up a free agent bargain. Johnson is 26 years old which is still
prime years for a wideout in the NFL and at 6’ 3” and 213lbs could
be just what the Bills could use for a red zone threat. He never was
able to shine in Arizona but his development was stunted mainly
because his playing time the last two or three seasons has decreased
each year playing behind Boldin and Fitzgerald. I think this is a
kid that has something to prove and if he gets the opportunity, it
could pay off big for the team that gives him the second chance.
Lance Briggs LB- now this is a guy that I would love to see the
Bills throw money at. Although he has always been overshadowed by
the great Brian Urlacher, Briggs is one of the most consistent and
athletic weak-side linebackers in the game. Briggs has totaled more
than 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons and is a constant
threat for turnovers in his team’s favor. Briggs would bring a
serious upgrade to the Bills linebacker corps as well as much needed
veteran leadership to the young core of players the Bills are
building around. Several teams are going to line up for his Game-
changing services and I hope the Bills are one of them!
Randall Gay CB-
The Bills definitely
need a serious upgrade at the cornerback position and although most
of the focus of the leagues free agent attention will be on Asante
Samuel, Gay is an intriguing player to consider. Gay is just 25, and
while he benefits from playing for the Patriots, he is really coming
into his own. He’s posted solid numbers this season, while also
showing more consistency. He has registered 38 total tackles to go
along with three interceptions and a forced fumble. Besides I would
love for the Bills to steal him away from New England.
Justin Smith DE-
After signing both
starters Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsey to monster contracts this
past season, the production at the DE spot really seemed to fall off
(Just nine sacks between them). This compounded with the Foot injury
to Ryan Denney at the beginning of the season and the one year
suspension to Anthony Hargrove forthcoming makes for a less than
optimistic outlook at the Defensive end spot for the upcoming year.
Enter Justin Smith. This would be an intriguing pickup for the Bills
to say the least. His numbers were way down in 07 but the entire
Bengals defensive line played poorly this year and I think smith’s
numbers were bad at least in part to this as he was doubled team
quite often. He’s still fairly young (28) experienced, and no doubt
has a powerful motor. But with such a down year, He won’t command
elite dollars and could prove to be valuable to a team like the
Bills where he could get a fresh start.
Alan Faneca, Floyd
Womack, Ryan Lilja OG-
I grouped them all together because anyone of these three would be a
major addition to the Bills interior offensive front. Although Brad
Butler played well I think he was way over his head and would better
serve the team as a backup. Faneca is on the wrong side of thirty
but has been fairly healthy throughout his 10 year career and still
plays with a mean streak. Womack I think is as underrated as they
come at the position and I think if Seattle lets him get away could
prove to be a steal. Lilja is still young, coming into his fifth
year and has gained great experience along the heralded Colts line.
This would be the time to grab him at the peak of his playing years
and would be worth some decent money being spent.
These
players not only fit the high character mold the Bills have been
trying to target but are young and on their way up for the most
part. Hopefully the Bills will not only be active but will push to
strike early in the free agency period. If they could land a Berrian
or Briggs in Free agency I think it would change how the Bills
approach the upcoming draft.
In my next article I will cover
the Bills focus on the draft and in what direction I see them
going… Go Bills.
