Dr. Who

Fun with impossible, unrealistic draft simulators that aren't updated for Combine results. 31. Brian Thomas Jr.WR LSU 60. Xavier WorthyWR Texas 63. Kris JenkinsDT Michigan 129. Tykee SmithS Georgia 159. Keith Randolph Jr.DT Illinois 162. Kitan OladapoS Oregon State 198. Joe MiltonQB Tennessee 202. Sundiata AndersonEDGE Grambling State 206. Carson SteeleRB UCLA 246. Anim DankwahOT Howard

My view is that Beane should grab a WR that can grow into a replacement for Diggs and a big X to replace Davis. So, I want both a supplement and a complement. For example, if you went with McConkey at #28, you could try for Coleman or Dez Walker. Walker will be there on day 2. If you grab Mitchell or Legette at #28, I'd want to grab someone like Pearsall later on. Whether Beane can pull that off with the draft picks at his disposal is another question.

Yes, he's one of those players who appears to be polarizing. I think his ceiling is higher, and I believe he would thrive with Allen.

I really think McConkey is exactly a fella that could grow into the next Diggs. He's much more athletic than given credit for, has soft hands, moxy, and runs very precise routes. He's not an X to replace Davis, however.

I just wrote in another thread that I would not take Worthy. I just think someone will. I agree that one of the big X receivers should be there at #28. My ranking is Thomas, Mitchell, Legette. I'd rather get Coleman in the second. I'm out on Franklin at #28, but he's another I would revisit in the second.

They have plenty to lose. They need to make the right choice. I would not take Worthy. A big X like Thomas, Mitchell, or Legette makes a lot more sense. I understand the appeal, however.

He was a quality human being. There was no rancor in his honesty. Old school, before the age of influencers and the like corrupted everything.

I'm not disputing that even the best GMs make mistakes, nor am I claiming Reagor was not a reach.

I do think Shorter is a possibility there. I haven't forgotten him, but I doubt Beane is willing to gamble that a fifth round pick is more than one option. I can't believe he won't want to add a more significant piece, where Shorter provides some redundancy. As I've said several times, I like Thomas, Mitchell, and Legette for that role. I doubt Thomas is there at #28. I think Mitchell may be gone as well. I suspect Legette will be sitting there. Fella earlier, must be @SoonerBillsFan was speculating about McConkey and comparing him to Diggs. It's not outlandish. I think McConkey could grow into the new Diggs, so clearly, he is worth taking at #28. But in my view, you would still need to strengthen the X. If you go with Ladd early, I believe you should try and trade up and grab Coleman in the second if he falls that far. There are some mid-round bigger receivers you could also consider. Conversely, if the Bills grab Legette, I'd want to find a way to get Pearsall or Roman Wilson. Well, ideally, I'd like to find a way to grab Mitchell or Legette, and McConkey. Such a strategy would cost assets, probably some 2025 picks, because you're moving up to make that happen. However Beane works it, I think he needs to come out of this draft with two young receivers. Honestly, I think it would be a shame not to do so given the potential at WR in this draft.

Can't have drama without a villain. They need to upgrade WR, and they will. I'd rather they didn't take one of the toys I want. And they are the team that has won the rings and kept us from advancing multiple times, so there's that.

I agree with this, but I really hope the plan is to double down and get two of these guys. One in the first, another day 2 or early day 3.

I have a PhD in the humanities. Way too poor for bets. All my expendable cash is to buy books and feed my numerous cats. But I'll start a thread, which I very rarely do, to give you credit if it happens. I'll be straight out shocked.

That's a gross exaggeration. Who doesn't know that guys bust and others slip through the cracks? What does that have to do with an evaluation of the quality of a draft class at a position? There are more high pay-off scratch offs at WR in this draft. Of course, it might not work out, but that's not a reason to ignore the specific strength of this draft. It just happens to match one of the Bills' significant needs, and one that they have generally ignored with premium picks in the past.

I'm not getting that vibe from Beane at all. And if you look at the number of WRs we visited with at the Combine (add McConkey, who we visited with at the Senior Bowl), there is reason to suspect heavy interest. That idea of Josh being Josh is a bad conclusion to draw, and I don't think Beane is dumb enough to make it.

There's no way all 32 teams pass on a fella with college production who just ran a 4.21 forty. Someone is taking him in the first.

I don't think there's a chance in hell that Worthy slips to the second round.

I like him, too. I've read some folks who dismiss him, and think if it were not for his last name, he'd be an afterthought. He's got size and tenacity. Turns out he ran a forty slightly faster than his brother. I know McConkey from watching him for years. He has the "it" factor, imo, which no amount of number crunching is going to reveal. I suspect Luke may have some of that as well.

You might need someone better at describing play design and tactics to explain this properly. The Bills faced a lot more man coverage last year because they did not have a big X that could push past the initial permitted "interference" at the line of scrimmage, win with speed on outside routes, and bulldoze coverage on intermediate routes. If the Bills had that player, Diggs would face single coverage more often, and the middle of the field would open up for the slot receiver because the opposing team would have to devote more resources to the WR at the X. Again, I am uncomfortable having to explain all this, because I love McConkey, and I would be thrilled to get him. If there were a way to get the big X and McConkey, who I personally believe is more capable as an outside receiver than many here give him credit, I would be as happy as a pig in . . . mud. I certainly do not agree with those folks who see McConkey as just another slot and a redundancy for Shakir. He is a much more talented receiver, and has wider usage than Shakir.

Of course, that is inevitable. I am especially fond of McConkey since I believe he is going to be an excellent player and I am an UGA fan.

I'm far from a Madden superficial fella, but yes, let's just disagree. It's fine that we at least have some agreement on improving the WR room. You appear from my perspective to be heavily "left-brain" analytics. The "right-brain" global view actually catches nuances and complexities that escape numbers, precisely what is dismissed as subjective non-sense by the analytics crowd. The Bills offense should be much better than it is, and that is not a reductionist take based on the playoff performance alone.

I think the Bills need and want a big X opposite Diggs. For that reason, I have Thomas, Mitchell, and Legette as my top three. I'm not going to cry if McConkey is the selection, but then Beane will still need to get someone for that X role. If Coleman dropped to the second, you'd have to trade up to get him, but McConkey and Coleman would be a dream draft. I personally just don't see Beane going for McConkey at #28, and I do like the three WRs mentioned above quite a bit. I'd be very happy with any of them, but I've already said if we select McConkey, I'm buying his jersey. I'm both an UGA fan and a Bills' fan, and I believe he's going to be very good. No, I think it is exceptional. Beane needs to take advantage.

I'm going to be physically sick when and if the Chiefs grab him at #32.

I don't think McConkey fits the skill set of what they need or are looking for at #28, though I love him. That's my order, though.

I understand. @HappyDays had a pithy comment that distills my view. The kind of DL you will find at the bottom of the first in this draft is the kind of DL you can find at the bottom of the first in any draft. The kind of WR you will find in this draft at the bottom of the first is going to be someone who in an ordinary draft would go in the top half of the first. If you wait until the second, you're going to get a good player, but you miss out on the true benefit of picking WR in a draft this exceptionally deep at the position. And in my opinion, upgrading WR is not only the right thing to do for Josh Allen, it is the most prudent use of draft capital, and the choice much more likely to have transformative effect on the fortunes of the team.

You can't just look at analytics, and numbers. An overall, yes, "intuitive" sense of the whole will yield a better, more truly accurate holistic narrative. The Bills' offense can sputter and struggle for long stretches of a game. It also, this year, had very few big, explosive plays, requiring those long drives with more opportunities for bad plays, mishap, and zebra intervention to derail the offense. And apart from injury, Diggs' lack of second-half production was also directly tied to significant deficiency at WR2. We do not have an X that demands attention. And, as Greg Cosell recently said, the Bills' WR room lacks "juice." Cosell even thinks Diggs is no longer a true #1. The Chiefs were able to pursue the strategy you appear to want to emulate because they have Andy Reid, one of the finest offensive minds to ever coach the game. Regardless, the strategy of investing the majority of draft capital on defense is something Beane has tried. What he hasn't tried is giving Josh Allen top level WRs with the exception of the trade for Diggs. Whether they are a good team or not, teams fear the Dolphins' offense. It's not because of Tua. We have one of the best QBs on the planet, and we do not have an offense that other teams' fear, even if there is numerical production. And the problem is offensive weapons. We need more alpha playmakers, and Beane should make that the top priority in the draft. Of course, we could also use Chris Jones, so it's true for both sides of the ball. What folks should want, bottom line, is an offense that is not simply adequate, or good, but considerably more than that with Josh Allen.