Lead up to the draft thread

[YardRat]

Four days away!

1. Finish and submit my 1st Round mock for the family contest.
2. Finish and post my final Bills 7 round mock.
3. Watch Draft Day...maybe twice!
4. Leave another message at OBD for Beane to return my call to discuss this year's prospects and strategy. I'm sure he won't, because he doesn't like to hear the "I told you so!" about passing on Humphrey for Basham, not getting a LBer last year, wasting too many premium picks on players expected to be on the field only 40-50% of the time, etc etc. He's kind of a snoot in that way.

So much to do, so little time....

[cookie G]

My oldest wanted to know if I wanted to drive to KC for the draft. I declined. Chances are, I'd hate the 1st pick..when they take someone like Mazi Smith...and I'd be caught on camera...on national TV saying

WTF!!

And the nation can read my lips.

[DraftBoy]

My oldest wanted to know if I wanted to drive to KC for the draft. I declined. Chances are, I'd hate the 1st pick..when they take someone like Mazi Smith...and I'd be caught on camera...on national TV saying

WTF!!

And the nation can read my lips.

Please reconsider and do this. We need this moment!

[DraftBoy]

I’ll probably do a first and final mock on Wednesday and continue reading through The Athletic draft guide, which I highly recommend.

[TacklingDummy]

My oldest wanted to know if I wanted to drive to KC for the draft. I declined. Chances are, I'd hate the 1st pick..when they take someone like Mazi Smith...and I'd be caught on camera...on national TV saying

WTF!!

And the nation can read my lips.
That's how I would feel if they draft any running back in the 1st round.

[POTLAND PSILBYLO]

My oldest wanted to know if I wanted to drive to KC for the draft. I declined. Chances are, I'd hate the 1st pick..when they take someone like Mazi Smith...and I'd be caught on camera...on national TV saying

WTF!!

And the nation can read my lips.

Please you tube your reaction and post here.

[notacon]

I’ll probably do a first and final mock on Wednesday and continue reading through The Athletic draft guide, which I highly recommend.

In that vein, Joe Buscaglia has posted his "Buffalo Bills 2023 NFL Draft big board: 77 names to know and how each player fits (https://theathletic.com/4430079/2023/04/21/buffalo-bills-nfl-draft-big-board-2/)”.

He lists 50 players with “details about how they’d fit the Bills” (go to link...subscription to the The Athletic (https://theathletic.com) is also highly recommended) and additional 27 players that are “others to know” are mentioned but not on the list below and are lacking the same details on fit from Joe B.

Here are the 50 players on the “Big Board” arranged by Dane Brugler’s Top 100 (https://theathletic.com/4185491/2023/02/14/nfl-draft-2023-top-100-players-dane-brugler/) (the author of the draft guide you mention). The “Grade”, "OVR Rank" & “POS Rank” are from ESPN’s Scout’s Inc. (https://insider.espn.com/nfl/draft/rankings?year=2023) (as published on April 9, 2023. It changes slightly before draft day).



<tbody>
NAME
POS
SCHOOL
GRADE
OVR RANK
POS RANK
BRUGLER RK


Wide Receiver








Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR
Ohio State
92
14
1
18


Jordan Addison
WR
USC
88
29
4
25


Jalin Hyatt
WR
Tennessee
87
42
5
31


Zay Flowers
WR
Boston College
91
19
2
32


Quentin Johnston
WR
TCU
90
24
3
34


Josh Downs
WR
North Carolina
83
56
7
41


Tyler Scott
WR
Cincinnati
77
85
13
48


Cedric Tillman
WR
Tennessee
80
66
8
57


Marvin Mims
WR
Oklahoma
75
89
15
76


Jayden Reed
WR
Michigan State
78
80
12
80


Trey Palmer
WR
Nebraska
n/a
n/a
n/a
95


Nathaniel Dell
WR
Houston
79
72
9
n/a


Linebacker








Drew Sanders
ILB
Arkansas
83
57
2
28


Trenton Simpson
ILB
Clemson
82
59
3
38


Jack Campbell
ILB
Iowa
84
51
1
52


Nick Herbig
OLB
Wisconsin
73
100
7
79


Marte Mapu
ILB
Sacramento ST
n/a
n/a
n/a
100


Defensive Tackle








Bryan Bresee
DT
Clemson
87
41
4
23


Calijah Kancey
DT
Pittsburgh
91
21
2
26


Mazi Smith
DT
Michigan
88
33
3
39


Gervon Dexter
DT
Florida
59
166
13
55


Keeanu Benton
DT
Wisconsin
86
47
5
56


Siaki Ika
DT
Baylor
n/a
n/a
n/a
71


Zacch Pickens
DT
South Carolina
72
105
9
83


Tight End








Michael Mayer
TE
Notre Dame
91
20
1
19


Dalton Kincaid
TE
Utah
91
22
2
20


Luke Musgrave
TE
Oregon State
85
49
4
29


Darnell Washington
TE
Georgia
88
31
3
30


Tucker Kraft
TE
South Dakota State
78
81
7
51


Sam LaPorta
TE
Iowa
81
63
6
64


Luke Schoonmaker
TE
Michigan
70
117
9
90


Offensive Tackle








Darnell Wright
OT
Tennessee
91
18
4
24


Anton Harrison
OT
Oklahoma
87
39
5
50


Matthew Bergeron
OT
Syracuse
81
64
7
54


Safety








Brian Branch
S
Alabama
87
38
1
17


Jartavius Martin
S
Illinois
72
104
7
81


Ji'Ayir Brown
S
Penn State
79
73
3
84


Jordan Battle
S
Alabama
75
91
5
89


Running Back








Bijan Robinson
RB
Texas
94
4
1
6


Jahmyr Gibbs
RB
Alabama
88
34
2
22


Zach Charbonnet
RB
UCLA
81
62
3
61


Tyjae Spears
RB
Tulane
75
93
5
73


Tank Bigsby
RB
Auburn
57
179
14
87


Roschon Johnson
RB
Texas
50
220
17
91


Kendre Miller
RB
TCU
63
150
11
n/a


DeWayne McBride
RB
UAB
66
134
9
n/a


Edge Rushers








Myles Murphy
DE
Clemson
90
23
3
21


Will McDonald IV
DE
Iowa State
89
27
4
46


Odds & Ends








Deonte Banks
CB
Maryland
89
26
5
27


O'Cyrus Torrence
OG
Florida
87
36
1
37

</tbody>

[notacon]

My oldest wanted to know if I wanted to drive to KC for the draft. I declined. Chances are, I'd hate the 1st pick..when they take someone like Mazi Smith...and I'd be caught on camera...on national TV saying

WTF!!

And the nation can read my lips.

That’s how I’d feel if they drafted Jack Campbell in the 1st round.


That's how I would feel if they draft any running back in the 1st round.

I would feel the exact opposite if they drafted Bijan Robinson in the first round. It would be a huge step in helping get over the hump to get to and win a Super Bowl in 2023.

He could play the slot full time if they wanted and could be as (if not more) deadly as Deebo Samuel. He could also be a spectacular three down back. Great short yardage bulldozer, and breakaway potential every time he gets his hands on the ball.

No surprise that the he is now the betting odds favorite to go to Atlanta at #8 overall (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/04/23/falcons-the-betting-favorites-to-draft-bijan-robinson/). But, with the constipated view against drafting RB’s in the first round just might have him falling enough to fall into the Bills lap...although I doubt it.

****, I’d be ecstatic if they had to move up a little in the 1st to get him.

[Mace]

I'm honestly already prepared to be disheartened by projected upside over demonstrated ability. Gravy if not so.

[Goobylal]

I'm betting on Jack Campbell. McD wants his QB of the defense and Campbell had better Combine numbers than Edmunds (but he had a faster 10-yard split). Campbell has the instincts Edmunds lacked, which negated his speed largely.

[Prov401]

Beane needs to hit and hit often this year. Please no 'projects' this year..

[Ed]

If anyone here listens to podcasts I strongly recommend Locked on Bills with Joe Marino. He's been doing deep dives on potential Bills prospects at every position and producing a lot of other great content leading up to the draft.

[k-oneputt]

JSN is the difference maker. He would be outstanding in the slot on this team. Head and shoulders better than Flowers and Addison. Only drawback with him is he does have injury issues. Go up and get him Beane. I like Palmer-Nebraska and Shorter-Florida for late round sleeper.
If I was a gm there is no way I’d take Young or Stroud in the top-10. Size issues and overrated for Stroud. Best game Stroud played was his last against Georgia. Young is too small for me. Maybe late 1st rd. I would gamble on Richardson at qb. Like Haener, probably will be a backup in the league for ten years.
I like Wright at ot, probably will be gone at #27. I don’t think they will draft an interior ol.
I think they will take one of those SEC d-tackles somewhere later in the draft.
Like both Campbell and Sanders, just not at #27. Maybe one can fall to our 2nd round pick.

[jamze132]

Maybe we should just draft 6 o-lineman. Maybe then we could piece together a line that could actually protect our most valuable asset.

[k-oneputt]

Will Levi’s going #1 ???
A lot of talk and movement in Vegas.

[Night Train]

I firmly believe scheme adjustment is a larger reason for improvement with this roster. Bills really work the FA market and hope to get 2-3 good draft prospects like most. Go Bills. Improve the depth.

[mightysimi]

Will Levi’s going #1 ???
A lot of talk and movement in Vegas.

That was all based off one Reddit post. Amazing times we live in. Guy claims Levis was told by the Panthers he was going 1.