Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“Pass rusher is a premium position,” Beane said. “After you get quarterbacks, probably the next highest position is pass rusher. The really premium ones always go in the top five. We’ve seen that with (Nick) Bosa and the young man last year who went to Washington (Chase Young). We were looking at different things and you only have so many cap dollars, so you try and find it in the draft.”’

‘Basham has a license plate for his car that says “QB Hunter.” The three-year starter is known for his pass rushing ability and compiled 19.5 sacks over three seasons with the Demon Deacons. In 2019, Basham led the team with 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks to go with 57 total tackles, three forced fumbles and first-team All-ACC honors. He had five sacks in 2020 but missed time after a bout with COVID-19.’

‘Brown is a 6-foot-8, 311-pounder who Beane said will work as a swing tackle this year, meaning he will compete to be the backup on both sides behind starters Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams. There was some pre-draft talk that he might move inside in the NFL, but Beane nixed that idea.’

‘Rousseau was a player some draft experts had going in the top 20, but he slid a little bit, partially because he opted out of the 2020 season and was only a one-year starter.’

‘Rousseau suffered a broken ankle early in his first season at Miami and was granted a medical redshirt. When he returned for the 2019 season, he exploded onto the scene as one of the most dominant pass rushers in college football.’

‘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.’

‘Round 1, Pick 30, CB Asante Samuel Jr.’

‘“Travis Etienne is the hottest running back in this class right now in terms of where his draft stock is going to be,” McShay said. “(The Bills) think that he’s the best back and they want to pair him up with Josh Allen and create that backfield.”’

‘Picking No. 30, the Bills may not be able to get a player who can come in and make a difference in 2021, so if Beane can trade back and perhaps recoup the fourth-round pick the Bills gave up in the Diggs trade, that would be a smart play.’

‘But here we are with the Bills slotted at No. 30, and the challenge for general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott will be to find a player who they believe can give them first-round performance despite the lateness of the selection.’

‘“He looks like a good young player,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said a while back. “Certainly has the athleticism to go with the position. We’ve got nothing but a high amount of respect for Jaret and Cam (Lewis, a former Bull who is now a Bill) and their entire program.”’

‘If the one stat that jumps off Williams’ profile page more than any other is that he forced an FBS-high 47 missed tackles last season, the one that cannot be ignored is this: He had only 416 touches in his three seasons for the Tar Heels, meaning theoretically he has far more tread left on his tires than Etienne (788) or Harris (718).’

‘The cost of doing so would mean they will lock in a 2022 salary of $23.1 million for Allen and $12.7 million for Edmunds, and Beane admitted Tuesday during a conference call with reporters that that’s a lot of capital to tie up in two players.’

‘NFL scouts, personnel directors and general managers have to decide whether they believe Harris can become the next Henry (who was actually a second-round pick in 2016), Alexander or Ingram, or is he going to be the next underwhelming player like Richardson, T.J. Yeldon (second round 2015) or Bobby Humphrey (first round, No. 3 overall in 1989).’

‘Of course, there’s a pretty big “if” attached to this wish because there’s a good chance Etienne won’t be available at the bottom of the first round, which is understandable. His resume is simply stupendous and there aren’t many highlight reels more entertaining than his.’