Walterfootball draft grades for the Bills

[The Answer]

Very good assesment and I'm in complete agreement for the most part - Instead of drafting Corner in the 4th I would have looked at another DE, Center or TE.

http://walterfootball.com/offseason2008buf.php

http://walterfootball.com/images/fball/bills2_logo.gif Buffalo Bills (Last Year: 7-9)

2008 NFL Draft Picks:

11. Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State
How do you get the top corner and a top-seven prospect at No. 11? Highway robbery. The Bills won't steal the AFC East like Steve Young likes to suggest, but they took a major step closer to the playoffs. (Pick Grade: A)

41. James Hardy, WR, Indiana
The Bills also managed to grab what could be the best wide receiver in this class at No. 41. You have to love it when your team takes advantage of the ineptitude of other GMs. Buffalo fans have to be smiling tonight. (Pick Grade: A)

72. Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
Not bad - the Bills need depth at the defensive end position. (Pick Grade: B)

114. Reggie Corner, CB, Akron
If the Bills really wanted Reggie Corner, they could have waited until the seventh round. I doubt he would have been drafted. I'm shocked to see Buffalo make such a horrible pick. (Pick Grade: F)

132. Derek Fine, TE, Kansas
If you listen closely, you may hear Bills fans scowling from western New York. Derek Fine? In the fourth round? Yeeesh. Tight end was a need, but Fine is anything but a fine pick (pun very much intended.) (Pick Grade: D)

147. Alvin Bowen, OLB, Iowa State
Well... the Bills needed linebacker depth... But I didn't have Alvin Bowen drafted. I hope Buffalo realized that Erin Henderson was still on the board. (Pick Grade: C)

179. Xavier Omon, RB, Northwest Missouri State
The scowling is getting louder... Another player I didn't have drafted. This doesn't seem to fill a need either. (Pick Grade: F)

219. Demetrius Bell, OT, Northwestern State
A solid pick in the seventh round; depth is needed at tackle and the range is right. (Pick Grade: A)

224. Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
Five years from now, we might look back at this pick and say, "How did Steve Johnson slip all the way to No. 224?" (Pick Grade: A)

251. Kennard Cox, CB, Pittsburgh
Not on my board, but it's the seventh round. (Pick Grade: C)

~The Answer

[The Spaz]

He does realize Erin Henderson went undrafted right?

[kernowboy]

I agree with the assessment.

Its not so much who was selected but where they were selected.

[DraftBoy]

He does realize Erin Henderson went undrafted right?

I think he does, whats your point?

[The Spaz]

I think he does, whats your point?

Saying we should have drafted him when obviously no other team was interested in him either. That's my point..

[DraftBoy]

Saying we should have drafted him when obviously no other team was interested in him either. That's my point..

Your point is also flawed given that every year there are guys who go either undrafted or arent drafted till later that end up being good players. Everybody (except for NFL teams) had Erin Henderson high on their OLB lists, his character issues did him in, but that doesnt mean skill wise he wasn't a better player either.

[The Answer]

I agree with the assessment.

Its not so much who was selected but where they were selected.

Very hard to gauge the day 2 picks until 3 or 4 years from now since most GM's are thinking 'developmental' with these type of players. That is why they aren't drafted in the first few rounds to begin with because they aren't expected to have an impact right away.

Marv did a great job the last few years, but I'm telling you right now that if McKelvin and Hardy pan this will be one of the best drafts we have ever had regardless of what the rest of the players selected end up doing.

~The Answer

[The Spaz]

Your point is also flawed given that every year there are guys who go either undrafted or arent drafted till later that end up being good players. Everybody (except for NFL teams) had Erin Henderson high on their OLB lists, his character issues did him in, but that doesnt mean skill wise he wasn't a better player either.

Oh so (NFL Teams) were wrong I see...

[alohabillsfan]

I love the fact that people give out grades before players take the field... Get real! Grading the draft 30 seconds after is soley name recognition

[The Spaz]

I love the fact that people give out grades before players take the field... Get real! Grading the draft 30 seconds after is soley name recognition

That's what I am saying.

[DraftBoy]

Oh so (NFL Teams) were wrong I see...

Yes because god knows they are never wrong...

Im not saying Henderson will be a star but Im also not willing to crap on the guys analysis (as he is one of the more respected draft guys) because a guy went undrafted. It doesn't tell the whole story like you are making it out to.

[Dr. Lecter]

Your point is also flawed given that every year there are guys who go either undrafted or arent drafted till later that end up being good players. Everybody (except for NFL teams) had Erin Henderson high on their OLB lists, his character issues did him in, but that doesnt mean skill wise he wasn't a better player either.

I don't disagree, but for him to knock the Bills for not taking a guy he thought would be a UDFA and suggest they replace him with a guy who ended up a UDFA (while also knocking them for taking a guy in the 4th he thought would be available in the 7th) is a bit hypocritical.

[The Spaz]

I don't disagree, but for him to knock the Bills for not taking a guy he thought would be a UDFA and suggest they replace him with a guy who ended up a UDFA (while also knocking them for taking a guy in the 4th he thought would be available in the 7th) is a bit hypocritical.

Thank you.

[DraftBoy]

I don't disagree, but for him to knock the Bills for not taking a guy he thought would be a UDFA and suggest they replace him with a guy who ended up a UDFA (while also knocking them for taking a guy in the 4th he thought would be available in the 7th) is a bit hypocritical.

Again Im not saying he is a star in the making and Im not saying the complaint is a real one but simply dismissing a player because he wasn't drafted is just as hypocritical given the recent successes of UDFA in this league which have far surpassed higher draft picks. Simply look at our team and our fans should know better. I mean Jason Peters (UDFA) is our starting LT, where Mike Williams (4th overall pick) should of been. Going undrafted does not mean skill level wise, that you suck.

[Dr. Lecter]

I don't think anybody is knocking UDFA's, just the writers logic behind not drafting Bowen.

[The Spaz]

Again Im not saying he is a star in the making and Im not saying the complaint is a real one but simply dismissing a player because he wasn't drafted is just as hypocritical given the recent successes of UDFA in this league which have far surpassed higher draft picks. Simply look at our team and our fans should know better. I mean Jason Peters (UDFA) is our starting LT, where Mike Williams (4th overall pick) should of been. Going undrafted does not mean skill level wise, that you suck.

I am just pointing out you can't diss the pick when they guy he wanted there went undrafted. Yes I would have liked Henderson an a UDFA and that's what he was to all teams. I agree NFL teams aren't always right but a draft guru shouldn't hold the upper hand either.

[DraftBoy]

I don't think anybody is knocking UDFA's, just the writers logic behind not drafting Bowen.

The writer is accurate nobody had Bowen projected as high as Buffalo took him (or Corner for that matter) and a lot of people had Henderson graded as a 2nd-3rd Round prospect. His job is to grade the drafts based on his rankings, what else would you expect?

[justasportsfan]

looks like another blog site writer thats playing GM. We already have that here on BZ.

[DraftBoy]

I am just pointing out you can't diss the pick when they guy he wanted there went undrafted. Yes I would have liked Henderson an a UDFA and that's what he was to all teams. I agree NFL teams aren't always right but a draft guru shouldn't hold the upper hand either.

Like you supporting Chris Brown in the past to me, his job is to grade teams based on their picks and how they compare to his rankings. Same thing Im doing in my write up. What else would you expect? I think Bowen was a bad pick too.

[colin]

lol @ spaz!!! everyone but the nfl teams had him going higher!!

i think the point here is if you grade a pick as a reach, but another as a value WHEN THAT VALUE GUY GOES UNDRAFTED your reach analysis is worthless.

it's only a reach when you trade up and give too much to get the guy (jp losman, ricky williams) or if you could have gotten him later.

who knows who teams will pick in the 5th round? at that point it comes down to the quality of the player.

[The Answer]

looks like another blog site writer thats playing GM. We already have that here on BZ.

Actually Walterfootball is a pretty respected source among the scouting circles and they have some good writers.

~The Answer

[feelthepain]

I like that the Bills drafted a WR, but I disagree that Hardy should get an A. Maybe he turns out to be an A, but to do so he better be a starting WR and nail the job shut.

[DraftBoy]

says who? you?

We also have respectable writers here that write for us. They even come here specifically for Clumps salary cap.

Walter's Football is a very respected draft site.

[justasportsfan]

Walter's Football is a very respected draft site.


so is BZ.

[The Answer]

says who? you?

We also have respectable writers here that write for us. They even come here specifically for Clumps salary cap.

Yes me - and I'm sure anybody else on this site that knows anything about the draft and scouting knows Walterfootball very well.

Also I know we have a lot of good writers on this site - or obviously I wouldn't be posting here among them.

~The Answer

[mysticsoto]

Like you supporting Chris Brown in the past to me, his job is to grade teams based on their picks and how they compare to his rankings. Same thing Im doing in my write up. What else would you expect? I think Bowen was a bad pick too.

I actually don't think the Bowen pick was a horrible one, though I would have rated him more likely for the 6th - and I too would likely have taken Henderson or Ezra Butler perhaps, who I like even more. But Bowen is probably better in STs than they are and got the nod more than likely b'cse of that. I am okay with this more than I am okay with our 4th rd picks. I think they were 2 wasted picks...

[Oaf]

Edwards and Wright were despised picks last year too. We'll see if either Fine or Corner can work out this year like Edwards did. I like both pick better than most based on OBD's explaination for each.