WideNine

Oliver has freakish skills, McDermott will find a way to use him a tad better than Houston managed I think.

I like the pick, but since it was the player i thought they would take all along it was anticlimactic. That was all I was saying. I got myself all worked up for nada.

Matt Patricia knows a thing or two about having a TE that is the whole package. Good for them, and good for us I think down the road that he went to an NFC team we won't have to play a lot.

Pass...there are more well-rounded TE prospects later I think who can catch and can block without trading back into the first.

Kind of meh...been predicting Oliver forever, not sure why I feel let down... Was thinking Beane would blow me away with some kind of pick filled last minute deal. *** Jeez relax guys I like the pick, it was just anticlimactic is all.

It's the usual "f" the Bill's fans move.

Quite right, it is nothing but names penciled in on paper at this point.

Yep...think they could have moved down grabbed more picks and still got their guy. Solid player.

Rumor has it we've upgraded our o-line:)

Hmmm.... Why do I suddenly feeling like I should congratulate my wife and her sister.

The natives are getting restless. Spent most of today trying not to think of the draft... Just needs to get here already.

So the condensed version of this rumor from the war room is no trade up, but possible trade down to better align BPA with draft position if they can find a partner. Deep indeed. Picturing some IT guy who just fixed Beane's laptop connection loitering and trying to stay inconspicuous in the corner of the war room while texting Peace Frog.

Pretty good article. Could tell he put a lot of thought into it. I am hitting the wall on this draft, just want it to get rolling today and let the chips fall where they may.

Would not be shocked and would be OK with the pick. I have my own concerns, but Daboll would have the more complete book on this kid and if he has future HOF in him. Also, a lot of mocks have Dillard moving up boards after his private workouts so he could be in play too if they go LT.

Not worried about the kid's weight. The talent is certainly there (5-star recruit and blew away his pro-day) when he wants to turn it on, my hope is this staff can bring it out consistently while curbing the me-first diva attitude he is rumored to have along with the rumored "trash-talk" and attitude that had scouts questioning whether he would have any loyalty to any team. He is my pick at 9 on talent alone, but not sans any concerns that if those attitude and mouth rumors are true he and McDermott would definitely butt heads. Personally, I can overlook someone who thinks they are all that if they actually are "all that" when they strap on their gear and play.

We have had our share of offensive and defensive linemen taken in the 1st that have not panned out, RBs, QBs, and WRs too. What this organization historically has a penchant for finding is decent defensive backs and safeties with some semi-recent exceptions - McKelvin comes to mind ....that kid used to frustrate the heck out of me. Just to be clear, I don't think the Bills will take Hockenson. Would be solid proof that this season is all about surrounding Allen with talent, but I don't see it happening unless the blue chip talent at DT (Williams, Oliver, etc.) is gone or none of the premium edge guys like Bosa, Allen, maybe Sweat (heart medical - probably not) are available. I believe those positions have a higher rating and can either fill that penetrating DT need that the Bills have or someone who can get to the QB off the edge. I am not convinced they go LT in this draft unless there is someone that has really shot up the boards for good reason (Dillard seems to be getting a lot of attention) - not completely sold on the kid from Bama and I think that Dawkins could recover his previous form with new coaching and a fire under him after seeing all the FAs the Bills brought in. Interior guys - no one stands out to me, but good depth on guards and RTs. All I am saying is that it is a possibility and the sky is not falling if they do as I have always thought a good TE is something you can craft your game plans around and is a difference-maker on teams that have one whereas good receivers are pretty one-dimensional in what they bring. If they don't take Hock in the 1st, or he goes before we pick I wont be crushed as I think there are good TEs to be had later that have the foundation to be good in the passing game AND good blockers with time. I think this is a really interesting draft and the Bills at 9 are just on the edge of being able to go in about any direction. Beane has shown that he is willing to wheel and deal for someone he has high on his board, but that does not mean he will do that every year. I think this is a good FO, we will see how it all pans out soon enough.

Like those guys too. Bit more development time, but Oliver particularly could develop into a solid TE.

Somewhat flawed logic. RBs have also been moving to the later rounds as teams with good offensive lines have shown they can have success utilizing low-rent or later-drafted RBs. That is why it has been hard for many successful runningbacks to secure long-term high dollar contracts when their original agreements are up for negotiation. ************************************** Since I caused some confusion, I was not disagreeing about the NFL becoming a passing league, just the inference that more passing was the sole reason RBs are being drafted later.

Fair enough. He isn't Gronk, maybe Gronk lite. Gronk had better measurables and Gronkowski (another Pac 10 TE) won the Mackey award twice while playing through injuries at college. However, T. J. Hockenson is really good, does not have the injury history, and declared early so has room to grow so not sure where his ceiling will be. Just a safe bet, based on how pro-ready IA TEs have been considering their coach's roots with the Pats, and his body of work to date, that bust isn't in the cards. I don't feel the same about any of the other TE prospects where I think they project to more limited offensive roles and longer learning curves with some inherent risks.

Very aware of those games Hock was double and triple teamed and the Hawkeye receivers had a big day. He also was a blocking machine, which does not show up in the passing stats, but why the Mackey committee had high praise for the kid. Was referencing Maybin's stats which were QB sacks and pressures off the edge. Apple's and oranges.

Come now Shaw, you are a level-headed poster and I like reading your material but do you really feel that Hock is a boom or bust, high-risk pick? The worst I see is that he develops into a solid, but not standout offensive player at the position. When the Bills selected Maybin I christened him "Aaron Maybe" on this board because he only had 1 or 2 games against weak opponents where he padded his stats and I was blasted - it was all grab your pitchforks and torches. Then he sucked:) Been wrong before, but this kid's college game has been consistent to date, he's young and still has room to grow more, received the Mackey award (first time awarded to a Sophomore), and does not have "bust" written on him. Could get injured, but that is a risk we take with any prospect. I like the defensive blue-chippers too and would not mind if one fell to us, but Hock does not have to be risky for those picks to be graded higher in my book.

Agree, hard pass. Feather weight, goes down when someone sneezes on him, Lisfranc foot injury (could be signs of more to come), concentration lapses/drops, invisible in bigger games. A legit speedster with the ball in his hands, but not enough to gamble an early pick to acquire IMO.

A well thought out counterpoint. Also, the past is not always a clear predictor of the future. A good place to start, but should be a weighted consideration. We should also consider the game where player roles evolve with schemes that rise and fall in popularity, where CBA and free agency limit how players can be used or coached. All these things impact the importance of positions and the kind of investment and expectations fans should have regarding their team's approach to filling those roles. All this being said, my support of taking a solid TE early does not mean I will be upset if the Bills go defense first.

I was in your shoes last fall. Was digging into receivers the Bills should target and came away unimpressed. Just too little gap between the guys that had a late 1st round grade and the crowded field with 2nd round grades. I started focusing then on the TE class in particular Fant who was considered the top prospect. I was trying to understand why the Hawks coach Ferentz was sitting Fant and playing their red shirt sophomore Hockenson and came away understanding why Hock was a special 3 down TE that was hard to take off the field. That did not fully explain why Fant "the destroyer of secondaries" was warming the pine. Sure he has critical drops on occasion and the blocking was not as polished, but IMO the effort was there and he was almost impossible to cover. He was certainly in the coaches doghouse and I have no idea why. We have seen rumors from scouts that he is a "coach killer" not sure why. The difference maker to me was that Fant was the athletic flex TE more in the mold of Ebron and Hernandez, Hernandez had better hands. Hockenson was more that complete TE a coach could leave on the field and as a red shirt sophomore there was still room for the kid to grow into his frame and get stronger. I still think Fant has amazing athletic skills and could end up being better. His resume just has more unexplainable questions. That and the occasional drops. I admittedly had a low tolerance for dropped passes after last season. Skills alone they are both very good TE prospects in a year where the WR class lacks clear blue-chip talent hence I think the bump into the early 1st round.

Nice article and kind of touches on some of our personnel/scheme issues stopping the run last year. Have always felt that if a runner is getting past your line, you have already surrendered 4 yards because he is hitting your second level with a head of steam. Gap-penetrating defensive lineman seem to be a mismatched role to the way Star plays the position. Not saying he did not occupy blockers.