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Buffalo Bills
Draft Review
Everybody and their grandmother knew that the Bills were coming out of this draft with a corner and a wide receiver in their first two picks; the only question was which would come first. Most predraft speculation had the top one or two corners already off the board by the time Buffalo picked, leaving them to reach for a receiver like Devin Thomas, even though many analysts didn’t think there was a single receiver worthy of a first-round pick. Well, it turns out that no NFL team thought there was a receiver worthy of a first-round pick, but a run on defensive ends and linebackers pushed the corners down, giving Buffalo their pick of the litter in Troy’s Leodis McKelvin. McKelvin had been bunched in with three or four other corners, but he separated himself late to become the consensus top cover man. The Bills were 30th in the league defending against No. 2 receivers, and that number should come down with McKelvin in the starting lineup. He was also one of the premiere return men in the country, and he could team with Terrence McGee to form one of the best kickoff return units in the league. On the other hand, McKelvin shows a positively Antoine Winfield-esque aversion to catching footballs — he only intercepted four passes in his four seasons at Troy — so he’s not going to do much to boost the team’s turnover differential.
With the Bills second pick, they addressed their need for a big receiver by taking the biggest one in the draft, 6-foot-6 James Hardy. A former basketball player, Hardy scored 36 touchdowns in just 26 starts at Indiana, and he represents an insoluble problem for any corner trying to cover him in a jump-ball situation. The Bills had all kinds of problems scoring through the air last year, and you can bet that Dick Jauron is going to rip out the red zone package and replace it with a steady diet of fades to Hardy in the corner of the end zone. It may take Hardy longer to make an impact between the 20s, however, as jumbo-sized receivers often taken time learning how to get separation at the NFL level. Hardy is an imprecise route runner, and he lacks breakaway speed when he has the ball in his hands, so he’s likely to be a package player as a rookie.
Buffalo spent the second day of the draft quietly addressing needs with each of their eight picks. Anyone watching tape of Matt Ryan in the Virginia Tech games couldn’t help but notice Chris Ellis driving him into the turf over and over, and Ellis should step in immediately as a third-down pass rusher. The team added additional secondary depth with the aptly named Reggie Corner from Akron in the fourth round and Pitt’s Kennard Cox in the seventh. Kentucky’s Steve Johnson was terrific this season hauling in passes from Andre’ Woodson, and there’s a chance he will prove to be a better pro than Hardy. Kansas tight end Derek Fine, Iowa State linebacker Alvin Bowden, Northwest Missouri State running back Xavier Omon and Northwestern State tackle Demetrius Bell won’t light up the scorecards of many draftniks, but each has a chance of sticking in a reserve role.
Remaining Needs
Between the 1-2 punch of McKelvin and Hardy and the offseason trade for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, the Bills have effectively addressed most of their glaring weaknesses. Still, the offensive line has to be a concern after ranking 25th in Adjusted Line Yards, and with last year’s top pick Marshawn Lynch on the roster, a blocking fullback and a big guard or center to open running lanes for him would have been nice. While it looks J.P. Losman will be back for one more season, it would have made sense to take a developmental quarterback prospect with one of those eight picks so that the team isn’t scrambling next year to find a quality backup to Trent Edwards.
Undrafted Free Agents
Iowa State linebacker Jonathan Banks caught the team’s attention playing on the same unit as fifth-rounder Alvin Bowden, and has been invited to camp. Banks is a converted safety who is undersized but rangy. Vanderbilt’s Marcus Buggs is another safety convert, and he was productive on both the strong and weak sides while playing in the SEC. Notre Dame linebacker Joe Brockington breaks the mold, as he has good size but ran only a 4.91, so he’s strictly an inside linebacker prospect. Wide receiver Jason Jones averaged more than 20 yards per reception at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Bills scout Shawn Heinlein worked Jones out in Arkansas and was impressed by his soft hands and the way he got in and out of his breaks. The team also signed Illinois State quarterback Luke Drone, who struggled last year but had a big junior season throwing to Laurent Robinson, now an Atlanta Falcon. Drone is only 6-1, but he has the athleticism and arm strength to operate in the West Coast Offense
Buffalo Bills
Draft Review
Everybody and their grandmother knew that the Bills were coming out of this draft with a corner and a wide receiver in their first two picks; the only question was which would come first. Most predraft speculation had the top one or two corners already off the board by the time Buffalo picked, leaving them to reach for a receiver like Devin Thomas, even though many analysts didn’t think there was a single receiver worthy of a first-round pick. Well, it turns out that no NFL team thought there was a receiver worthy of a first-round pick, but a run on defensive ends and linebackers pushed the corners down, giving Buffalo their pick of the litter in Troy’s Leodis McKelvin. McKelvin had been bunched in with three or four other corners, but he separated himself late to become the consensus top cover man. The Bills were 30th in the league defending against No. 2 receivers, and that number should come down with McKelvin in the starting lineup. He was also one of the premiere return men in the country, and he could team with Terrence McGee to form one of the best kickoff return units in the league. On the other hand, McKelvin shows a positively Antoine Winfield-esque aversion to catching footballs — he only intercepted four passes in his four seasons at Troy — so he’s not going to do much to boost the team’s turnover differential.
With the Bills second pick, they addressed their need for a big receiver by taking the biggest one in the draft, 6-foot-6 James Hardy. A former basketball player, Hardy scored 36 touchdowns in just 26 starts at Indiana, and he represents an insoluble problem for any corner trying to cover him in a jump-ball situation. The Bills had all kinds of problems scoring through the air last year, and you can bet that Dick Jauron is going to rip out the red zone package and replace it with a steady diet of fades to Hardy in the corner of the end zone. It may take Hardy longer to make an impact between the 20s, however, as jumbo-sized receivers often taken time learning how to get separation at the NFL level. Hardy is an imprecise route runner, and he lacks breakaway speed when he has the ball in his hands, so he’s likely to be a package player as a rookie.
Buffalo spent the second day of the draft quietly addressing needs with each of their eight picks. Anyone watching tape of Matt Ryan in the Virginia Tech games couldn’t help but notice Chris Ellis driving him into the turf over and over, and Ellis should step in immediately as a third-down pass rusher. The team added additional secondary depth with the aptly named Reggie Corner from Akron in the fourth round and Pitt’s Kennard Cox in the seventh. Kentucky’s Steve Johnson was terrific this season hauling in passes from Andre’ Woodson, and there’s a chance he will prove to be a better pro than Hardy. Kansas tight end Derek Fine, Iowa State linebacker Alvin Bowden, Northwest Missouri State running back Xavier Omon and Northwestern State tackle Demetrius Bell won’t light up the scorecards of many draftniks, but each has a chance of sticking in a reserve role.
Remaining Needs
Between the 1-2 punch of McKelvin and Hardy and the offseason trade for defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, the Bills have effectively addressed most of their glaring weaknesses. Still, the offensive line has to be a concern after ranking 25th in Adjusted Line Yards, and with last year’s top pick Marshawn Lynch on the roster, a blocking fullback and a big guard or center to open running lanes for him would have been nice. While it looks J.P. Losman will be back for one more season, it would have made sense to take a developmental quarterback prospect with one of those eight picks so that the team isn’t scrambling next year to find a quality backup to Trent Edwards.
Undrafted Free Agents
Iowa State linebacker Jonathan Banks caught the team’s attention playing on the same unit as fifth-rounder Alvin Bowden, and has been invited to camp. Banks is a converted safety who is undersized but rangy. Vanderbilt’s Marcus Buggs is another safety convert, and he was productive on both the strong and weak sides while playing in the SEC. Notre Dame linebacker Joe Brockington breaks the mold, as he has good size but ran only a 4.91, so he’s strictly an inside linebacker prospect. Wide receiver Jason Jones averaged more than 20 yards per reception at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Bills scout Shawn Heinlein worked Jones out in Arkansas and was impressed by his soft hands and the way he got in and out of his breaks. The team also signed Illinois State quarterback Luke Drone, who struggled last year but had a big junior season throwing to Laurent Robinson, now an Atlanta Falcon. Drone is only 6-1, but he has the athleticism and arm strength to operate in the West Coast Offense
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