TigerJ

I don't care for the two offensive tackles you have the Bills drafting. The rest of it looks pretty good. I don't know that the Bills are that interested in adding more competition at tight end. Okwuegbunam certainly opened some eyes at the combine with his 40 time. Personally, I would give some thought to drafting a shorter guy who can block and using him in the backfield for the kind of role they're using Dimarco to fill now. He could maybe line up outside too, and act as an inline blocker in double TE formations. Thyat seems like a better use of a roster spot than what Dimarco provides now.

I'm not as high on Willekes as you, but I like most of it. Good effort! Bowden in the fourth might turn into a steal. Brian Daboll would drool over all the trick plays he could devise using Bowden.

That could mean he is either a guest, or a disease/parasite.

Pretty much a certainty. So, the fact that they invested time to talk to them suggests the notion of a trade up is at least on the table. I don't personally think that's going to happen, but the Bills seem to have not ruled it out. I suppose it could be a smoke screen, but I don't think the Bills have done a lot of that since Buddy Nix was telling anybody who listened that Cordy Glenn was a guard.

Well, we can dream, I guess.

I think it is pretty simple, really. When the McBeane regime took over, they perceived that the Bills had a serious lack of talent at the WR position (among other areas). The first year was a year for cleaning house and finding guys who might be a short term solution. They had limited success. They also had an untenable QB situation. Tyrod was a nice guy and a team player, but had an unacceptably low ceiling for a long term starter. They drafted Josh Allen to be a long term starter 2 years ago, but since he was unusually raw, they hoped to have him understudy an experienced starter. We all know that didn't work out either. They were still trying to upgrade multiple areas of the team last off season, and chose not to spend any high draft picks on a WR. They signed as free agents some guys they thought could get open - John Brown deep and Cole Beasley in the slot. John Brown is fast, and Cole Beasley is a savvy route runner who gains separation by the ability to make precise cuts and accelerate out of his break. He's not very fast at all. I don't think Beane is locked in to any one type of receiver. I think he knows that Josh Allen is not likely to be a QB who can be depended on for precise ball placement or timing any time soon. His priority is likely to be receivers who are good at creating separation, and have outstanding catch ability (few drops). He'll also take a receiver who is good at winning 50/50 balls. If Ruggs were to drop to #22, at 6 foot tall, I don't think Beane would have any problem picking him. Not only is he the fastest receiver in the draft, he also is a solid route runner and rarely drops a ball. On the other hand, I could see him drafting Claypool or any one of a number of big receivers in the draft. I know Claypool has the double advantage of being fast and big too, and he's not even the only guy like that. The only kind of receiver I don't see Beane targeting, unless he plans on acquiring more than one receiver who will make the 53 man roster, is a smurf like KJ Hamler.

I really don't think Buffalo will take a running back in round one, but I think there are a bunch of good running backs that will get drafted in rounds two and three, and the Bills may be a team that gets one.

Some people have Edwards-Helaire mocked to Buffalo. With that 40 time, I don't see it. He would be Devin Singletary II. My definition of a complementary back does not equate to identical. I want a guy who is either bigger or faster, if not both (AJ Dillon).

On one hand, of course Palmer is going to say good things about Allen if he can. On the other hand, Palmer has a strong reputation and there is presumably a healthy demand for his services as a personal throwing coach. If he didn't honestly believe in Allen's upside, he probably could move on to other QBs who did have upside and further enhance his reputation.

It seems doubtful that Claypool will make it to Buffalo's second round pick. Maybe they could drop down a few picks in the first round. If he does hang around down into the second round, maybe Buffalo could package some of their late round picks with their second rounder to move up and get him.

Some observers think he's put on weight since his last game.

He had a pretty good 40 time too.

Another big guy who ran well is Denzel Mims, with 4.39 unofficial 40. He's not quite as big as Claypool, but was more productive at Baylor than Claypool was at Notre Dame. Jalen Raegor ran a disappointing 4.47 - not slow, but not the burner he was touted to be, and at 5'11" he doesn't have size and catch radius as bragging points. He did have a nice vertical though (42"). Claypool might be a boom/bust type player in the first round where the pressure to succeed is so high. He has off the charts measurables, but wasn't very productive in college. Part of that was having a crap QB and an offense that didn't feature a high powered passing attack. He's not reap twitchy, not real crisp in his route running, doesn't have short area quickness or burst out of his breaks. Some of that can be coached up, but there is potential for him to disappoint.

Claypool just earned himself some serious money. He has some shortcomings as a WR, but I think he can be coached up.

I was a Cleveland Browns fan in high school. Anybody remember Leroy Kelly? He was the successor to Jim Brown as the Browns running back. I became a Bills fan when they drafted OJ Simpson. That was a while ago.

Lots of interviews with WRs and RBs reveal that Beane and McDermott have similar thoughts about draft strategy to most Bills fans. Have there been any with offensive linemen and edge rushers?

Sounds like a low risk, high value signing.

Sean McDermott just said the other day at the combine, "One player can't make your team, but one player can break it." On that basis, I don't think he will take a chance.

To get a really elite player in the first round, they would probably need to move into the top 5. Who wouldn't want to get Chase Youngs? Unfortunately, moving from 22 to #2 would probably cost them the rest of their draft. Anywhere in the top 5 would cost them almost as much. Other than Chase Youngs, I don't really think there is a lineman on either side of the LOS who would inspire me to give up the rest of my draft just to get my hands on him. The same is true for the available WRs. Jeudy and Lamb are good,, but are they good enough, and that much better than the next tier of WRs to sacrifice most of the rest of the players I might get in the draft? I wouldn't completely rule out trading up, if someone I really like surprises me by dropping, but a trade up is about the least likely alternative I can imagine happening. I could see trading down a few spots to pick up another 2nd or 3rd round pick, and I could easily see bundling some late picks with a 4th rounder to get another 3rd, but I think standing pat in round one might be the most likely chice thise year, and I'm happy with that.

Well, he is going to be a combine participant, so there is no keeping him a secret.

Ruggs has 10.5 inch hands.

The Bills will let Jordan Phillips test free agency. It's likely that somebody will overpay him, but if they don't, it's possible he might work out a deal with Buffalo. With Ed Oliver as a potential star in the making at the 3 tech spot, it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to sign Jordan Phillips to the big money deal he wants. I think Shaq Lawson may warrant a bigger contract from the perspective of the Bills. Jerry Hughes, being an older player, is probably being thought of as only a short term player for the Bills going forward. On the other side, Trent Murphy certainly hasn't given any evidence that he's going to be a significant presence for the Bills, and it is not certain the Bills are even going to keep him. Shaq was pretty productive as a pass rusher last season, and my be the Bills' best run defender from the defensive end position. He's young enough that he may still have some upside. I'm far from an expert on NFL salary levels. I don't think Shaq deserves a top to salary at the position, but maybe top 20.

This trio gets my vote.

For a number of years it was Lorenzo Alexander. I assume with his retirement he was replaced. Anyone know by whom?

I want to see some combine results before I do that ranking. I want to see measurables for all of them and some drill results for most of them.