‘The fact is, the Bills didn’t consistently apply enough heat to most opposing quarterbacks. Jerry Hughes is 32 and in the final year of his contract, and when opponents focus on neutralizing him, no one else stepped up in a meaningful way to provide the kind of pressure that would do wonders to put them over the top. The Bills are hopeful that 2020 second-round pick A.J. Epenesa can provide an additional boost.’
Archives for April 2021
Position-by-position preview of the 2021 NFL draft
‘There are so many running backs available on the second and third days of the draft every year that better value can be had in the first round at virtually every other position on the field.’
Final mock draft: No smoke – Bills add a dynamic threat to their backfield
’30. Buffalo Bills. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson. Was Brandon Beane blowing smoke when he said last week that the Bills don’t have a “home-run hitter” at running back? Maybe. But guess what? He wasn’t lying. Etienne would give the Bills something in the backfield they currently don’t have with Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Is taking a running back in the first round a bit of a luxury? Maybe so … but the Bills can afford it. If the goal is to beat the Kansas City Chiefs, that can be done one of two ways – by trying to outscore them or by trying to slow down Patrick Mahomes. Good luck with that last part. Putting Etienne on the Bills’ offense has the potential to elevate it to another level entirely. This far down in the first round, that’s too hard to pass up.’
Everything Buffalo Bills fans need to know to watch the 2021 NFL Draft
‘The price of enjoying success is waiting a long time to make a first-round pick in the following year’s draft. The AFC Championship Game-losing Bills won’t go on the clock, barring a trade, until the 30th overall pick, and that may not happen until somewhere between 11:30 and midnight.’
Creating NFL Draft wish list for Buffalo Bills at pick 30
‘The luxury of going into a draft with a Top 5 NFL roster like the Bills have means you’re able to draft for the future. Cornerback is a popular target position among the fan base and Farley might end up being the best in the class. The problem is he may have a severe medical red flag because of two back surgeries, not to mention a torn ACL back in 2017.’
NFL mock draft 2021: Bills trade out of 1st round, land CB who plays like he’s in ‘fist fight’
’35. *TRADE* Buffalo Bills – Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State.’
Demos: Buffalo Bills 1st-round targets
‘There’s two reasons why I like Ojulari as a Bills fit. First, I think he’s a talented enough player that he could come in and contribute in the same SAM linebacker role that A.J. Klein has in their defense. But also, he could be Jerry Hughes’ long-term replacement.’
Opinion: Capaccio: Bills possible trade-up targets
‘It will be costly for the Bills to trade up 8-10 spots. I can’t see them being able to go beyond that, given how cost prohibitive it would become coupled with teams not wanting to drop that far. So for this exercise I capped a Bills-trade up scenario at ten spots, to slot No. 20.’
Opinion: Capaccio: 2021 Mock Draft
’30. Buffalo Bills: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami.’
Jerry Sullivan: Life can begin after the 30th pick in the NFL draft
‘For the 31st consecutive year, I refrained from doing a mock draft and feigning expertise about college guys, many of whom I’ve never seen play. Instead, I put together an all-time Bills team of players who were taken 30th or later in the draft.’
Beane drafting at the back of the pack: Go up or trade down?
‘”We stack the board the way we see it. We don’t worry about where we’re picking,” said Beane.’
Top 10 prospects picked for the Bills in 2021 NFL mock drafts
‘Now that the Bills have one of the most dangerous receiver corps in the league, time to inject some life into the run game. Etienne would be a great puzzle piece in an offense that craves speed in the backfield. Etienne doesn’t have the speed of some of the fleet backs or wideouts who run Jet sweeps (he’s a 4.44 guy), but the book on him is he cuts and fakes at top speed, which can make up for the fact that he has good but not transcendent speed. Plus, Etienne is very good in the screen game. He had 22 plays of 40 yards or more at Clemson, with a ridiculous 78 touchdowns in four seasons.’
Bills Today | Draft analyst believes there will be CB options for Bills at 30
‘”I think Najee Harris will be off the board,” Pauline said in an appearance on ‘One Bills Live’ this week. “I think he’s going to the Steelers at 24. Travis Etienne could be a good fit there, but there will be decent running backs later on in the second part of day two. Michael Carter from North Carolina, Trey Sermon from Ohio State, Khaleel Herbert from Virginia Tech. You can get a good running back later on in day two.’
NFL draft profile: Supremely confident cornerback Caleb Farley could be available for Bills
‘Here’s what Farley has: Tremendous confidence in his ability to make a significant impact in the NFL at cornerback, where he wound up when his plans to play wide receiver disappeared.’
If Bills are serious about moving up in first round, here’s what it would cost
‘In the draft pick value chart developed by Chase Stuart of Football Perspective, the Titans’ No. 22 pick is worth 14.9 points, while No. 30 is worth 12.9. Stuart’s chart, however, gives the Bills’ third-round pick a value of 5.7 points, meaning Beane would be overpaying by a good amount if he included that to move up to Tennessee’s pick. The No. 161 pick alone, at 2.2 points, makes the math work, but in reality, it seems awfully unlikely the Titans would drop eight spots in the first round for only a fifth-round draft pick.’