Gunner's 2022 Mock Draft (v3 and FINAL - p.17!!)

[N.Y. Orangeman]

19 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Personally I think he is a 2nd rounder. I wouldn't be stunned if he crept into the back of round 1. But I'd expect first half of round 2 more likely. One of those teams - Jags, Lions, Texans, Jets, Giants - who need a receiver but for whom the value doesn't make sense in the top 5 given their other needs at corner and tackle and the superior prospects at those spots.... they could be a very interesting landing spots. All the raw physical talent is there. Think you want to see a bit more nuance from him - tidy up his route running, improve his get off, learn to feel the play and when to adjust the route in his head. The Texans where Brandin Cooks would stay as their #1 target and you could ease him in as the #2 as a rookie and develop him would make a lot of sense to me. 

Who are some of your favorite fits for the Bills in rounds 2-7?  Great work as always.

[GunnerBill]

21 minutes ago, N.Y. Orangeman said:

Who are some of your favorite fits for the Bills in rounds 2-7?  Great work as always.

 

To be honest still early for me on those later rounds. Shrine game and Senior Bowl this week, they usually help. I also haven't got to some of the "lesser" position groups yet like IOL and IDL where I think the Bills have needs and might be able to find some value.

[HappyDays]

2 hours ago, Estro said:

Jameson Williams would be a dream to drop into this offense. That said the early chatter @ the Senior Bowl, according to Tony Pauline, is that Williams and Wilson are the early favorites to be the 1st WRs taken in the draft. 

 

I know Williams tore his ACL last month, but I actually dont think it's going to hurt his draft stock that much, with how quick players recover from ACLs.  His speed is intoxicating.

 

I think Williams will be off the board much earlier than Bills fans are wishing.

 

There are other speed receivers later in the draft. I really like Calvin Austin or Romeo Doubs as potential day 2 picks (but defer to the judgment of someone that has actually scouted them and not just read about their skill sets). A player like those two would immediately fit into our slot role and take attention away from Diggs. I would in fact prefer to take a player like that on day 2 and take a DL or CB in the 1st round, preferably one with speed.

[LyndonvilleBill]

42 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

There are other speed receivers later in the draft. I really like Calvin Austin or Romeo Doubs as potential day 2 picks (but defer to the judgment of someone that has actually scouted them and not just read about their skill sets). A player like those two would immediately fit into our slot role and take attention away from Diggs. I would in fact prefer to take a player like that on day 2 and take a DL or CB in the 1st round, preferably one with speed.

I mentioned Skye Moore earlier. Haven't really checked him out yet. Maybe worth looking into.

[Max Fischer]

A Catch-22: If the Bills receive assurance Williams will retain his speed, so will other teams and he won't be there at #25.

 

I think the Bills are too close to a Super Bowl to "waste" their first round pick on a receiver who might not play or at risk to not come back 100%.

[gonzo1105]

Boy, I hate going down this road because he’s a Defensive End but I’m a huge Jermaine Johnson fan. He’s crushing the senior bowl, was great at FSU in his one year there and has the build to be a complete DE who has the athletic profile to get after the QB while being strong enough to set the edge as a defender. 
 

I think most had him pegged in round 2 before this week but man he might be pressing middle of the first round right now 

[John from Riverside]

Jamison got yac beast written all over him

[BADOLBILZ]

9 hours ago, Max Fischer said:

A Catch-22: If the Bills receive assurance Williams will retain his speed, so will other teams and he won't be there at #25.

 

I think the Bills are too close to a Super Bowl to "waste" their first round pick on a receiver who might not play or at risk to not come back 100%.

 

Well everyone generally assumes that he will retain his speed already. 

 

Williams may fall because he may not be ready to play early in the season and it's a very deep WR draft...........on the heels of several consecutive deep WR drafts..........it's one of the lesser "need" positions around the league.

 

And it's a very good OL and DL draft early,   which are much more "need" positions and teams are also very desperate for DB's so there will be reaches there too.

[Jim Bob]

 

The Bills have been known to put a lot of stock in what they see at the Senior Bowl. So, it is not surprising that they did their homework.

[Doc]

If there's a CB with a late-1st/early 2nd round grade, they'll take him.  

[Max Fischer]

12 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Well everyone generally assumes that he will retain his speed already. 

 

Williams may fall because he may not be ready to play early in the season and it's a very deep WR draft...........on the heels of several consecutive deep WR drafts..........it's one of the lesser "need" positions around the league.

 

And it's a very good OL and DL draft early,   which are much more "need" positions and teams are also very desperate for DB's so there will be reaches there too.

 

"Will" retain is speed is a bold prediction for any injury. Williams is a good receiver but his speed and quickness set him apart. Ramping back up to elite speed is far from certain. 

 

Like I said in the OP, I think much more likely the Bills take a very good player at a position of need than take a chance on a WR who "might" retain his speed and "might" be ready to play early in the seaon. 

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Max Fischer

[LyndonvilleBill]

After letting GB's mock marinade, revisiting the thread and comments (many times), I just can't get on board with Williams at 25. ( I really tried...) Many keep saying we have the luxury of time to wait for him, but many are not looking at do we have time to wait for Tre to return. I believe we currently have Jackson, Johnson and Lewis as our starting CB group. None are #1 or 1b corners( and not confident in a #2). We didn't lose because of the O. I don't think we had anyone to cover (and BS defensive play calls at the end). So, before I get beat up on "drafting for need", I think the value is there as well ((opinion). Using GB's draft,  Mccreary,  Elam and Mcduffie are still available. Each show as a mid-late 1st rnd, early 2nd by a couple. Definitely not available by our 2nd pick. Plenty of fast WR's after the 1st rnd and to use a 1st on Williams as a 3rd or 4th (when he's back) I just can't seem to put a higher value on Williams than a CB based upon the CURRENT team state. And then when Tre returns you have a 1a, 1b  and Johnson. That's a VERY good group of CB'S. We get pressure from the Dline, but give them an extra 1/4 to 1/2 second and I think they'll get home more often. Don't get me wrong, If Tre was going to start the season or we had a CB that could really fill his shoes, I could get on board with Williams,  just can't right now. OK, I'm ready for my beating now (I think).😁

[Doc]

Sorry but there is no way to justify taking a WR who is coming off a torn ACL with the Bills' 1st pick when Wallace will be leaving in FA and Tre' is also coming back from his own ACL injury.  Especially when CB won't be a reach where they pick and there are other speedy WRs in the draft.

[Dr. Who]

24 minutes ago, Doc said:

Sorry but there is no way to justify taking a WR who is coming off a torn ACL with the Bills' 1st pick when Wallace will be leaving in FA and Tre' is also coming back from his own ACL injury.  Especially when CB won't be a reach where they pick and there are other speedy WRs in the draft.

I certainly see how CB would be a rational pick. I won't throw a brick at the telly if that's the way they go. Sure, there are always speed receivers you can get later, but what elevates the few above the many is harder to quantify than simply checking out forty times. I think Williams has a chance to be an elite playmaker and so I'm going to be rooting he's our pick.

[Doc]

23 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

I certainly see how CB would be a rational pick. I won't throw a brick at the telly if that's the way they go. Sure, there are always speed receivers you can get later, but what elevates the few above the many is harder to quantify than simply checking out forty times. I think Williams has a chance to be an elite playmaker and so I'm going to be rooting he's our pick.

 

The problem is there's no guarantee that even without being injured he would have been a great NFL player.  Add the injury and it's too great a risk to take.

 

And I knew Bill from NYC would hate it.

[Bill from NYC]

3 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

The problem is there's no guarantee that even without being injured he would have been a great NFL player.  Add the injury and it's too great a risk to take.

 

And I knew Bill from NYC would hate it.

I will have quite a bit to say about Williams before the draft. Some of it might surprise you.  

[Dr. Who]

Just now, Bill from NYC said:

I will have quite a bit to say about Williams before the draft. Some of it might surprise you.  

I think they call that a tease in the media biz.

[Doc]

20 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I will have quite a bit to say about Williams before the draft. Some of it might surprise you.  

 

The only thing that would surprise me is you saying you want the Bills to draft him...and turn him into a CB.

[BADOLBILZ]

On 2/3/2022 at 1:41 PM, Max Fischer said:

 

"Will" retain is speed is a bold prediction for any injury. Williams is a good receiver but his speed and quickness set him apart. Ramping back up to elite speed is far from certain. 

 

 

 

 

I don't know if it's bold at all.    According to reports he had a very clean break.   ACL's don't even top the list of destructive knee injuries anymore........I worry much more about the cartilage/degenerative conditions that will cause lingering pain.    Sometimes surgery and rehab of a ligament can actually make the player more powerful.   Tommy John surgery used to inevitably take the power away from any pitcher who needed the procedure........now It's become the norm with UCL injuries/surgeries in baseball for the pitcher to come back throwing harder than they could before.    We don't hear about huge advancements in the surgeries themselves but I think improvements have certainly come in the re-hab process.       

[Bill from NYC]

3 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I don't know if it's bold at all.    According to reports he had a very clean break.   ACL's don't even top the list of destructive knee injuries anymore........I worry much more about the cartilage/degenerative conditions that will cause lingering pain.    Sometimes surgery and rehab of a ligament can actually make the player more powerful.   Tommy John surgery used to inevitably take the power away from any pitcher who needed the procedure........now It's become the norm with UCL injuries/surgeries in baseball for the pitcher to come back throwing harder than they could before.    We don't hear about huge advancements in the surgeries themselves but I think improvements have certainly come in the re-hab process.       

After Williams was taken out of the Championship Game, he was walking so well on the sidelines that I thought he was coming back in. I'm talking about NO limp at all. In all honesty, I was not at all mad that he didn't return and risk his financial future on the game.

 

I cannot say it enough.....the 2021 Alabama team was not even close to being as good as the 2020 team, which was better at every position except OLB.  It was the best coaching job by Saban of his entire career imo. The 2022 team will be clearly superior 2021, but I doubt that it will be as good as 2020.

 

On a seperate note, I consider this draft to be worse than we have seen in many years, other than OL and perhaps DL. Am I off base with this assumption?