2023 Idiot Mock Draft Award

[TigerJ]

I usually do this every year. I've seen lots of mocks that I didn't like, but none that really rose to the high (or low) bar I've set to the idiot mock draft award . . .until now. The winner is Chad Reuter, who is a pretty well respected prognosticator. I really can stomach his latest mock draft, a seven rounder. In the firsts round, he has Buffalo trading up seven spots to take Jordan Addison, a slightly built slot receiver with average speed. He's got great hands and is an outstanding route runner, but really? He makes up some ground by projecting Drew Sanders to the Bills in round two. This is a need pick and a real good value at the bottom of the second round. The Bills have no 3rd round pick courtesy of the trade with Seattle. In the 4th round they get an athletic but undersized guard Braeden Daniels. Daniels is going to need a lot of technique work and must get stronger before he can play in the NFL. Buffalo has no 5th round pick. In the 6th round Buffalo takes their last pick, Brayden Willis. Willis is an undersized tight end who may not be able to serve as an inline blocker and is described as sluggish in his route running. I think Addison can play and be productive, but I can't buy the trade up and sacrificing two picks to do it. Drew Sanders will come in and probably start in place of Edmunds, but I don't see them getting much of anything out of their last two picks. This mock draft makes me want to gag.

Seven-round 2023 NFL mock draft: Texans pick Will Levis 2nd; Vikings trade up for Anthony Richardson (https://www.nfl.com/news/seven-round-2023-nfl-mock-draft-round-1)

[Saratoga Slim]

I don’t know man, I think coming out of rounds 1 and 2 with Jordan Addison and Drew Sanders would be sort of a home run.

Would be unfortunate to lose a 3rd in the process, but I actually think this is one of Chad Reuter’s better assessment of the Bills’ needs. Usually he’s bleeping clueless

[swiper]

Projecting trades is ridiculous. That's what makes these mocks never close to right.

[TigerJ]

In this mock, Buffalo gets two contributors. The odds are poor that the latter two picks ever make it to the field for a game in a Buffalo uniform. Two picks in a draft are not enough in my thinking.

[Mace]

In this mock, Buffalo gets two contributors. The odds are poor that the latter two picks ever make it to the field for a game in a Buffalo uniform. Two picks in a draft are not enough in my thinking.

Absolutely agree. They need to make all their picks count this year.

And seriously....the way they've proven to operate with rookies....they just aren't going to give a rookie wr significant snaps over Davis and Shakir who hasn't even had a chance yet. To have fewer picks to likely not play anyone enough would be tragic. Unfortunately they aren't going to grab an instant starting mlb either imho. It's just not McDermott comfort zone...and I don't see him getting out of it.

[notacon]

This draft is more about 2024 than 2023.

I don’t care who the first round pick is, like Mace just said, they are not going to get significant snaps. The early days of the Bills rebuild when Tre’ White, Allen, Edmunds & Dawkins waltzing into starters their rookie year is gone.

But, I also believe that WR is THE most glaring need, where a first round pick can accomplish two goals.

#1. Provide some juice that was obviously missing as the season progressed last year. Making changes like McKenzie, Crowder and Kumerow being replaced by Harty and Sherfield is a start and covers the Bills WR room nominal needs, but here is room for a rookie to push either Davis for the #2 spot, or more likely, the slot position.

#2. Begin to address the Davis contract situation coming after this season. Diggs is not going anywhere as the undisputed #1 WR that is eating up cap space appropriately. Davis, no matter how much us Bills fans were disappointed last year, is going to get relatively big bucks in FA.

Having two up and coming WR’s, Shakir and the 1st round pick for 2023 on rookie deals provides cap stability for the WR room for the next three to five years. Especially if the 1st round WR shows capability to be a starter for 2024. That fifth year option is huge.

I will be surprised if the Bills do not pick a WR in the first round. I also will not be surprised if when the run on WR's starts, probably around #15 or so, they move up a few spots to get who they have targeted.

LB and DL for the future can be had on day two and later. If we have learned anything from the past few years, OFFENSE is the key to success in today's NFL.

If a defense is adequate to slightly above average but the offense is stellar, success will follow.

[YardRat]

My mock has a WR run starting at #21 with all receivers available except for Smith-Njigba (at #15). Of course, my mock also has Buffalo trading out of the first with Houston and the Texans snagging Zay Flowers with the pick..

[swiper]

In this mock, Buffalo gets two contributors. The odds are poor that the latter two picks ever make it to the field for a game in a Buffalo uniform. Two picks in a draft are not enough in my thinking.

What did you think about last year's draft result? No real contributors. The 6th round CB beat out the 1st round CB. And while they both played a lot due to injury, they were back-ups in the end.

[TigerJ]

What did you think about last year's draft result? No real contributors. The 6th round CB beat out the 1st round CB. And while they both played a lot due to injury, they were back-ups in the end.It was disappointing. I would not be surprised if Elam beats out Dane Jackson this year and gives Buffalo a good pair of bookend cornerbacks. Yes, I think he will be better than Christian Benford in the long run. I don't know if they'll get any more starters out of that draft class or not, though I think that Benford, Shakir and Bernard will contribute in some form or other beyond special teams and Spector will contribute on special teams, but all that is still less than what you'd like to get out of your draft.

[TigerJ]

I forgot to mention James Cook. I don't think he'll ever be a bell cow type running back. I think he is a productive role player. I expect his production to go up this season. Hopefully, Harris or somebody can supply the power component to the run game that it's been lacking for a while now.

[jamze132]

This draft is more about 2024 than 2023.

I don’t care who the first round pick is, like Mace just said, they are not going to get significant snaps. The early days of the Bills rebuild when Tre’ White, Allen, Edmunds & Dawkins waltzing into starters their rookie year is gone.

But, I also believe that WR is THE most glaring need, where a first round pick can accomplish two goals.

#1. Provide some juice that was obviously missing as the season progressed last year. Making changes like McKenzie, Crowder and Kumerow being replaced by Harty and Sherfield is a start and covers the Bills WR room nominal needs, but here is room for a rookie to push either Davis for the #2 spot, or more likely, the slot position.

#2. Begin to address the Davis contract situation coming after this season. Diggs is not going anywhere as the undisputed #1 WR that is eating up cap space appropriately. Davis, no matter how much us Bills fans were disappointed last year, is going to get relatively big bucks in FA.

Having two up and coming WR’s, Shakir and the 1st round pick for 2023 on rookie deals provides cap stability for the WR room for the next three to five years. Especially if the 1st round WR shows capability to be a starter for 2024. That fifth year option is huge.

I will be surprised if the Bills do not pick a WR in the first round. I also will not be surprised if when the run on WR's starts, probably around #15 or so, they move up a few spots to get who they have targeted.

LB and DL for the future can be had on day two and later. If we have learned anything from the past few years, OFFENSE is the key to success in today's NFL.

If a defense is adequate to slightly above average but the offense is stellar, success will follow.

I agree with most of this but waiting until a run on WRs and then trading up is a huge gamble on say the 4th or 5th WR drafted, not to mention losing a draft pick. I’d much rather stay where we are and take the best WR available.

I’d rather draft nothing but lineman, but I get it.

[notacon]

I agree with most of this but waiting until a run on WRs and then trading up is a huge gamble on say the 4th or 5th WR drafted, not to mention losing a draft pick. I’d much rather stay where we are and take the best WR available.

I’d rather draft nothing but lineman, but I get it.

The reasoning is that the WR crop this year does not have top flight, sure #1 WR high first round talent. No Garrett Wilson, Chris Olive and certainly not anything close to Ja'Marr Chase.

The Bills don’t need a #1 WR. They need a reliable slot receiver than could move outside. Give the offense more versatility to move Diggs around and take the heat off him. Plus, he can be brought along relatively slowly (like the Bills are apt to do with rookies) with the gaol to have serious contribution in the second half of the season....especially the playoffs.

The Bills don’t have the lack of smarts or the draft capital to move up into the high teens. So, they just have to wait it out until around pick #20 to see how things shake out.

It is conceivable that only one of the top five WR will be gone by then. After of determining who’s ahead of them (depending on what trades have taken place) and try to scope out who is going to take whom before them is the job ahead.

I appreciate your desire for lineman, but, I believe that they can and will fulfill those needs later in the draft (and in FA, Connor McGovern should be a very good signing) with WR #1 on their priority list.

Thankfully, we only have 2 1/2 days left to find out.

[Night Train]

Mock drafts are just an exercise to kill time. Yet after months of posting them daily, many folks start believing they're real...like pro wrestling.