OldTimer1960

I think DeJean would make an outstanding S, but I think Late first is a bit early for S. Back to the DEs, I think any of those 3 are likely better out of the gate than any DE currently on the roster, but Miller likely still starts, at least early season out of deference to his great career. As you can tell, I’m not optimistic that Miller can bounce back from last season - I of course hope that he can.

Where there is smoke … oh wait that was just Beane coming back from the dispensary. I’m with many here - if they like him, ok in the 2nd, but still not what I would do. I just don’t see him as a receiver worth even a late 1st. I don’t think adding Coleman gets the Bills any more wins than they would get without him. I’d go a bit higher than “situational pieces”. I think there are several more who have potential to be solid or better starters.

Troy Franklin obviously interests the Bills, but I don’t think he is worth a late first round pick. He would certainly have a chance to help the Bills passing offense right away, but I have a lot of reservations about him. I think the number of visits and workouts he has had with the Bills means that they are still not sure what to make of him. Is he what he looked like on film or is he what he looked like at the Combine? I think at minimum he can be Gabe Davis - better in the passing game, but nowhere near the blocker Davis is. I’m concerned about inconsistent hands, his thin stature and whether he can become a more refined route runner. If he reaches his potential, he might become a good deep threat who can make plays at the intermediate level as DBs will have to respect his deep speed. I don’t think he will be dominant, but he could be good+. I think McKinstry would be interesting. I don’t think it’s out of the question that he could beat out Douglas or Benford. CB is a much bigger need than many think. I’ll play: how would Chop Robinson, Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse impact the Bills?

Most of that currency is nickels and pennies. Counting the number of picks without regard to the total value is pretty meaningless. The media hyped the whole “11 picks” thing. In reality, the 11 picks they have combined are worth less than some other team’s first round pick on its own.

Agree - for me, I would take the best BPA at WR, DE, DT, CB in round 1 (or after trade down), then repeat the rest of the way while expanding the positions to choose from as it gets later in the draft. Smaller trade ups using later picks to nail guys they like, if there are any that late. I could possibly see them being in the race for division or wild card this year, but I don’t think they are really challenging for the Super Bowl this season. So, no need to stress about filling one specific need.

Looking at the roster, this team, in my opinion, needs a lot more than 2 WR and they are not going to address those gaps in one offseason. Nobody wants to admit that this team probably will not be as good as it has been the last few years. I think that the front office saw that as an opportunity to do a mini-rebuild, especially on defense. They have seemingly improved their cap situation going forward in the process. i know that I am in the minority of fans, but I am fine with that approach. But, if we recognize that is what is going on and that they need at least 1 starting WR and another young one, a pass rusher to replace Von Miller, another starter at CB for after 30 y.o. Douglas is done and hopefully 2 better safeties than they have now, then it lessens the urgency to get both WR this year. Keep next year’s picks and use them when they have full value unless there is an opportunity to get a definite star in a trade up. 35 years of following the draft tells me that none of these prospects are absolutely sure things, so I don’t think giving up future picks at less than face value is wise in most circumstances. To your last point, I think they will try to use their excess 4th, 5th and 6th picks to make small moves up.

I would not want to trade next year’s picks this year. Going in, you are accepting $0.50 on the dollar when you do that. The 2025 picks are worth a round more next year than they are this year.

I voted trade down if possible. There are still a number of WR left and most could help the Bills if they pan out. I don’t know that I’d be tempted by Nate Wiggins, but I would have had to think hard if Verse, Latu or even Robinson is left.

Coleman seems riskier than others, so I would steer away (unless they are absolutely convinced he is the bomb) regardless who else the Bills pick. In the scenario you pose that Coleman is a big slot and jump ball specialist, it hurts because he is competing them for targets with Kincaid, Shakir and Samuel. I don’t think adding someone else like Worthy or Franklin mitigates that. In spite of that, the role he seems fit for is too specialized (my opinion) to warrant a 2nd round pick.

I think they do matchup pretty well. He is rarely open vs man and that fits with his testing numbers. Now, can he overcome that with physicality in the league? Maybe, but I don’t want to bet on that early in the draft.

I really think a trade back is the ideal play, if they can find a partner and get fair compensation. 1 WR, even 2 are not catapulting this team to the SB while they are doing a reboot on D. As it stands, the presumed starter at LDE had 0 sacks last season and while I like Epenesa and Toohill as backups, I don’t think we want them starting. It’s going to take 2 off-seasons to get 2 WR, likely a starter at CB for when Douglas moves on, backup CB, future starter at 1T DT (Jones is getting up there), and a better S or 2 given their current guys at that position.

Or Kamron Kinchens before round 3 (and they don’t currently have a pick there)

Where do you envision that Cowing would play? He is very short and light.

Hi game tape is pretty good to my fan’s eye and Franklin’s athletic testing at the combine was very good, but I just can’t get his field work at the combine out of my head - it stuck out to me as pretty bad for a guy who will never be able to win with size and strength to have that much trouble in the gauntlet and also stumble more than once running patterns with no defender there at the combine. If they like him, I will get on board, but if he is the best WR available at 28, then I’m betting there will be better prospects at other positions like DE, DT, CB, OT - all premium positions and those defensive positions are all big needs either immediately or in some cases for 2025.

Completely agree that this is a 2 off-season retooling. From that perspective, I wouldn’t force WR in round 1 if there are better options at other important positions T, DT, DE, CB. I don’t mean to imply that I am against WR in the first, I just am not “WR is the only option “

I think we are just realizing that it is a very good WR class with 3 great prospects at the top, 1 Uber talented guy (Thomas Jr) alone on the next tier and then a pack of guys who you might rather take in the 2nd than in the first, plus there are pretty good prospects into probably the 3rd round. Every one of the guys after Thomas have some question marks (and Thomas does as well, but his physical ability and deep ball prowess present a pretty high floor. Mitchell - a lot of smoke about not always putting in his best effort McConkey - durability concerns and is he mostly a slot WR Worthy - 165-170lbs Coleman - separation ability and flat out speed Franklin - rail thin, played in a conference that doesn’t play much D and his field work (not talking 40 time) at the combine was shaky. Legette - age, 1 year production and we as a fan base seem to be much higher on him than the draft pundits - some of whom are fairly tied into front offices.

I am not pounding the table to draft Robinson, I just think he has a lot of upside - which you correctly point out that he might not reach. Again, I’m not advocating to take him, but I would argue that no player that they could take there is completely free of potential to be a JAG or complete bust. I know some were against taking Elam in the first, but I don’t think that many thought that he would never see the field and would only be hanging on to a roster spot by a thread because he is a former 1st round pick. The draft is much more inexact than people want to believe and picking as late as the Bills are makes it that much more difficult.

He measured 5’8” and 168lbs at the combine, but he is very fast and quick.

There really is no comparison. Go watch some of Robinson play. He is fast, quick and strong. He is disruptive, but still needs a to develop more pass rush moves. Will he be great? I don’t know that, but he won’t be a flat bust like Maybin.

When you are picking early in each round, it is a lot easier to draft well.

I think Branden Beane has noted that a lot of defenses are taking away or making it harder to hit them deep by playing 2 high safeties as the Bills succeeded with Hyde and Poyer. I also think that Diggs was hurt second half of the season or slowing down some. I don’t think any OC is going to say - hey, no deep shots in this offense because we don’t want to gain big yards in 1 play. I expect if they can get a legitimate deep threat that we will see a few more deep shots, but coverage schemes will impact that as well.

I think they would adjust the offense to take advantage of Thomas’ skill set. Perhaps the Bills moved to the offense as you described it because they didn’t have a legitimate field stretcher/boundary guy with size. Every 3-4 games Davis would fill that role and then he would disappear.

I have watched more than his highlights. He is fairly mobile laterally “for his size”, but he isn’t going to out-quick or out-run most NFL CBs in my opinion. I could be wrong.

I hope you are right. I just look at the roster on defense and see a lot of questions and paper thin depth. If Von Miller loses the battle to return to form, the pass rush (as it stands) is all up to Rousseau, Oliver, Epenesa and Toohill. I like Rousseau and I have been an Epenesa defender, but that looks like a bottom 3rd of the league pass rush on paper. At corner, there is no depth behind Johnson, Douglas and Benford other than Elam whom the team hasn’t wanted to put on the field for the 2 seasons he has been here. Yes, that could all work out very well if Rousseau and Epenesa step up and Elam looks more like a 1st round pick than he has to date, but some or all of it could go the other way and, if it does, I don’t want to be sitting here next year thinking, “man, they need a lot of help and they would have been picking in the top half of each round - too bad they traded those picks.” It isn’t that I hope they don’t do well, but I don’t think a big trade up for even any of MHJ, Nabers or Odunze makes this team a championship contender this year. I’d rather sit tight at 28 or make some smaller moves and still get a talented WR and keep next year’s picks where they are positioned well to add some good young talent. You could be right, this is just my opinion.

Are you getting kickbacks from Coleman’s agent? For as much as you like him, he is a major boom or bust prospect. There are not many 4.6 40 guys with limited lateral agility making an impact as NFL WR. Maybe he con buck that trend, but too risky for my blood.