Focus On The Defense Draft

[H2o]

The premise of this mock draft is if we address all of our needs on offense in FA.  Assuming we get some vet OL help, a vet WR, another TE possibly, and a 3rd RB. This would be a draft I would want to see that focuses strictly on the defensive side of the ball. 

 

 

Round 1 - #25. Ahmad Gardner / CB / Cincinnati - Ahmad Gardner went to Cincy as a 3-Star recruit out of Martin Luther King HS in Detroit, Michigan. He arrived weighing just under 160lbs. Started as a TRUE Freshman for the Bearcats and went on to NOT ALLOW A SINGLE TD by opposing receivers in his 3 years of time there. He's also 6'2" and a 190lbs now. He has the speed and fluidity to keep up in Man coverage, but his best fit is in a Zone system where he gets to read/react to the play as it unfolds. Welcome to the Buffalo Bills son. 

 

Round 2 - #57. Chad Muma / LB / Wyoming - The Bills go to the Wyoming well again for a possible future Captain of the defense. Edmunds is in a contract year and I honestly believe we get our contingency plan together in 2022. If you have never seen Muma play then go check out some YouTube videos. He's not going to run a sub-4.5 40 at the Combine, but he is smart, takes good angles, has enough athleticism to cover, and he is a sure tackler. He led all of the NCAA this year in solo tackles with 85. I could see him being groomed in 2022 for a starting role in 2023 in this defense. 

 

Round 3  - #89. Travis Jones / DT / UConn - Jones is a perfect fit for the 1-Tech in our defense. He stands 6'4", almost 330lbs, and is a stout run defender. He also has some decent lateral agility, the strength to push the pocket, and uses his hands well to create leverage when attempting to push the pocket. We get younger and more talented at the position here.  

 

Round 4 - #126. Michael Clemons / DE / Texas A&M - Clemons is not much of a "WOW" type of prospect at the DE position, but he is solid, does some things well, and improved every year. We are not re-signing Hughes or Addison so depth will need to be added. Clemons had 11 TFL's and 7 sacks this past season, though 3.5 of those sacks came against Louisiana State in their 11/27/21 contest. He still showed well enough against Alabama, Arkansas, and Miss St. to be worthy of a 4th. 

 

Round 5 - #166. Isaiah Thomas / DE / Oklahoma - DE's in back to back rounds of the draft 2 years in a row? Yep. Isaiah Thomas is another solid prospect at the position. Not a Hutchinson or a Thibodeaux, but a guy who plays the run well and gets after the QB. He only had 7 sacks, but he had 21 hurries this year which means he was around the QB a lot more than you think just looking at the normal stats. 

 

Round 6 - #184. Jayden Peevy / DT / Texas A&M - The fourth DL'man in a row? Yep. The 2nd one from Texas A&M? Yep.  Peevy is another large, strong human being who can anchor in the middle of this defense. He plays the run well, but doesn't offer much in the way of pass rush. With the possibility of Star, Butler, Addison, Hughes, Phillips, and Obada all being gone this DL is getting a lot of necessary attention in the draft. 

 

Round 6 - #203. Decobie Durant / CB / South Carolina St. - Durant is a bit undersized at this point, about 5'11" and 175lbs. An NFL Strength and Conditioning program can take care of that in an offseason. He has athletic ability that can't be taught though. He has some nice short area quickness and fluidity to his game. He also has speed to stay with NFL WR's down the sidelines. The only problem is he can be too aggressive at times making him susceptible to double moves. It's nothing that coaching can't correct and it's a nice get here in the 6th.

 

Round 7 - #228. Zakoby McClain / LB / Auburn - McClain is a developmental backup LB best suited to play the WILL. He has good speed and puts himself in position to make plays, but sometimes does not because of his angles. He is really solid in coverage and can also attack off of the edge showing a decent bend to get around OT's on the blitz. The athleticism is there and I think with some coaching he could be a valuable depth piece to the defense, as well as a good ST's player. 

 

Round 7 - #243. Yusuf Corker / S / Kentucky - Corker is a developmental S prospect who can immediately contribute on ST's due to his tackling ability. He will need to be coached up in his technique and coverage skills though. He's a little easy to commit and get turned in coverage, sometimes comes off of his assignment too early allowing the QB to make a play when scanning back to his Zone, and his footwork needs work. Poyer and Hyde are two quality options to learn from. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by H2o

[NewEra]

Imo, you should select a corner that has more than a 1% chance of being available when we pick.  I’d be surprised if he’s not top 3 Corner off the board, more than likely #2 imo.  

I like Muma a lot.  Dunno if I’d be happy if he were our 2nd rd pick unless we had already secured at least a 4th for edmunds. 
 

Would love Travis Jones in rd 3.  Doubt he’s there 

[ProcessAccepted]

Not sure this mock is in line with Beane's comments about priority 1 - protecting Josh Allen. 

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

14 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Imo, you should select a corner that has more than a 1% chance of being available when we pick.  I’d be surprised if he’s not top 3 Corner off the board, more than likely #2 imo.  

I like Muma a lot.  Dunno if I’d be happy if he were our 2nd rd pick unless we had already secured at least a 4th for edmunds. 
 

Would love Travis Jones in rd 3.  Doubt he’s there 

It's hard to tell how the CB's will be slotted until we get combine results and a bad 40 time could cause any of the top guys to fall to our spot. Andrew Booth is also a possibility at 25. 

 

LB depth is a sneaky need for us and would give us options if Edmunds' asking price is too high. I thought Andre Smith looked pretty solid in preseason, though.

 

I think Travis Jones is a great fit for us if we move on from Star and Butler. I'm not sure if he makes it to the end of the 3rd and I would be happy with taking him in the 2nd. 

7 minutes ago, ProcessAccepted said:

Not sure this mock is in line with Beane's comments about priority 1 - protecting Josh Allen. 

Pre-draft talk is mostly smokescreens. Beane's too smart to blab about our draft plans.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Allen2Diggs

[Process]

🤮🤮🤮

[H2o]

27 minutes ago, ProcessAccepted said:

Not sure this mock is in line with Beane's comments about priority 1 - protecting Josh Allen. 

 

48 minutes ago, H2o said:

The premise of this mock draft is if we address all of our needs on offense in FA.  Assuming we get some vet OL help, a vet WR, another TE possibly, and a 3rd RB.

 

[BillsFanForever19]

I'm okay with going Corner with our 1st pick. But it feels like all of our Drafts have been "focus on the defense" drafts. Feels like our Defense needs sure things filling roles at this point in time. I hope that the Defense sees a lot of work in the FA and Trade markets this offseason.

[delirious]

Muma would be such a NICE haul. He  should be the one manning the Mike position. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by delirious

[947]

Just watched a Muma 2021 highlight vid. Noy only is a he a playmaker, he tackles guys low & drives them back nearly every time, something I've only seen Edmunds do a handful of times in 4 years. Sign me up.

 

That said, I'm not sure a LB from Wyoming who isn't particularly fast is going in the 2nd round. He's also diabetic, that may drop him to round 3-4.

Edited February 17, 2022 by 947

[Bangarang]

Thanks, I hate it

[JohnNord]

3 hours ago, H2o said:

The premise of this mock draft is if we address all of our needs on offense in FA.  Assuming we get some vet OL help, a vet WR, another TE possibly, and a 3rd RB. This would be a draft I would want to see that focuses strictly on the defensive side of the ball. 

 

 

Round 1 - #25. Ahmad Gardner / CB / Cincinnati - Ahmad Gardner went to Cincy as a 3-Star recruit out of Martin Luther King HS in Detroit, Michigan. He arrived weighing just under 160lbs. Started as a TRUE Freshman for the Bearcats and went on to NOT ALLOW A SINGLE TD by opposing receivers in his 3 years of time there. He's also 6'2" and a 190lbs now. He has the speed and fluidity to keep up in Man coverage, but his best fit is in a Zone system where he gets to read/react to the play as it unfolds. Welcome to the Buffalo Bills son. 

 

Round 2 - #57. Chad Muma / LB / Wyoming - The Bills go to the Wyoming well again for a possible future Captain of the defense. Edmunds is in a contract year and I honestly believe we get our contingency plan together in 2022. If you have never seen Muma play then go check out some YouTube videos. He's not going to run a sub-4.5 40 at the Combine, but he is smart, takes good angles, has enough athleticism to cover, and he is a sure tackler. He led all of the NCAA this year in solo tackles with 85. I could see him being groomed in 2022 for a starting role in 2023 in this defense. 

 

Round 3  - #89. Travis Jones / DT / UConn - Jones is a perfect fit for the 1-Tech in our defense. He stands 6'4", almost 330lbs, and is a stout run defender. He also has some decent lateral agility, the strength to push the pocket, and uses his hands well to create leverage when attempting to push the pocket. We get younger and more talented at the position here.  

 

Round 4 - #126. Michael Clemons / DE / Texas A&M - Clemons is not much of a "WOW" type of prospect at the DE position, but he is solid, does some things well, and improved every year. We are not re-signing Hughes or Addison so depth will need to be added. Clemons had 11 TFL's and 7 sacks this past season, though 3.5 of those sacks came against Louisiana State in their 11/27/21 contest. He still showed well enough against Alabama, Arkansas, and Miss St. to be worthy of a 4th. 

 

Round 5 - #166. Isaiah Thomas / DE / Oklahoma - DE's in back to back rounds of the draft 2 years in a row? Yep. Isaiah Thomas is another solid prospect at the position. Not a Hutchinson or a Thibodeaux, but a guy who plays the run well and gets after the QB. He only had 7 sacks, but he had 21 hurries this year which means he was around the QB a lot more than you think just looking at the normal stats. 

 

Round 6 - #184. Jayden Peevy / DT / Texas A&M - The fourth DL'man in a row? Yep. The 2nd one from Texas A&M? Yep.  Peevy is another large, strong human being who can anchor in the middle of this defense. He plays the run well, but doesn't offer much in the way of pass rush. With the possibility of Star, Butler, Addison, Hughes, Phillips, and Obada all being gone this DL is getting a lot of necessary attention in the draft. 

 

Round 6 - #203. Decobie Durant / CB / South Carolina St. - Durant is a bit undersized at this point, about 5'11" and 175lbs. An NFL Strength and Conditioning program can take care of that in an offseason. He has athletic ability that can't be taught though. He has some nice short area quickness and fluidity to his game. He also has speed to stay with NFL WR's down the sidelines. The only problem is he can be too aggressive at times making him susceptible to double moves. It's nothing that coaching can't correct and it's a nice get here in the 6th.

 

Round 7 - #228. Zakoby McClain / LB / Auburn - McClain is a developmental backup LB best suited to play the WILL. He has good speed and puts himself in position to make plays, but sometimes does not because of his angles. He is really solid in coverage and can also attack off of the edge showing a decent bend to get around OT's on the blitz. The athleticism is there and I think with some coaching he could be a valuable depth piece to the defense, as well as a good ST's player. 

 

Round 7 - #243. Yusuf Corker / S / Kentucky - Corker is a developmental S prospect who can immediately contribute on ST's due to his tackling ability. He will need to be coached up in his technique and coverage skills though. He's a little easy to commit and get turned in coverage, sometimes comes off of his assignment too early allowing the QB to make a play when scanning back to his Zone, and his footwork needs work. Poyer and Hyde are two quality options to learn from. 

While I like the idea, I have concerns about this regime’s ability to draft defensive players.  Their biggest hit to date is probably Ed Oliver.  
 

The rest of the picks on defense have either been meh, flops or undeveloped.  Yes I’m including Edmunds in “meh.”

 

They’ve invested a lot in defense in the draft and have gotten nothing. 

[wagne591]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

While I like the idea, I have concerns about this regime’s ability to draft defensive players.  Their biggest hit to date is probably Ed Oliver.  
 

The rest of the picks on defense have either been meh, flops or undeveloped.  Yes I’m including Edmunds in “meh.”

 

They’ve invested a lot in defense in the draft and have gotten nothing. 

I would say Malino is pretty good...wouldn't you.  Taron Johnson is pretty good...Harry is pretty good too when not hurt....and Tre White yeah he sucks....kidding. 

[TailgateChef]

2 hours ago, JohnNord said:

While I like the idea, I have concerns about this regime’s ability to draft defensive players.  Their biggest hit to date is probably Ed Oliver.  
 

The rest of the picks on defense have either been meh, flops or undeveloped.  Yes I’m including Edmunds in “meh.”

 

They’ve invested a lot in defense in the draft and have gotten nothing. 

Tre'Davious is pretty good.  Milano too.  And Taron Johnson.  Phillips did well this year.

Edited February 18, 2022 by TailgateChef

[whorlnut]

I’ve said this many times…why on earth would we take a corner in round 1?  McD and his staff is probably the best staff in the league at getting the most out of defensive backs. We can take an offensive weapon or lineman in 1 and still get an upgrade at CB in round 3 or 4. McD has nothing but success with undrafted guys and late round CB picks. Why reach for one in 1?

6 minutes ago, TailgateChef said:

Tre'Davious is pretty good.  Milano too.  And Taron Johnson.  Phillips did well this year.

Tre and Milano were pre-Beane. 

[Simon Says]

2 minutes ago, whorlnut said:

I’ve said this many times…why on earth would we take a corner in round 1?  McD and his staff is probably the best staff in the league at getting the most out of defensive backs. We can take an offensive weapon or lineman in 1 and still get an upgrade at CB in round 3 or 4. McD has nothing but success with undrafted guys and late round CB picks. Why reach for one in 1?

  Because Wallace is a free agent and White is hurt 

[whorlnut]

Just now, Georgie said:

  Because Wallace is a free agent and White is hurt 

So you need to replace an undrafted FA that has turned into a starter with a first round pick?  I’m not buying it. 

[Bookie Man]

I like where your heads at, but I don’t see Sauce being there at 25 and Travis Jones there at 89. 

[gonzo1105]

Ah, where to begin. Gardner ain’t dropping to 25, and Travis Jones won’t be available at the end of the 3rd round. He might not even be there at the 2nd rounder. 

[LABILLBACKER]

So tired of our defense failing in the playoffs. Couldn't hold on to a 16-0 lead in Houston. Gave up 80 points to KC. I'm all for spending all of our cap money on PROVEN defensive players. Not mediocre guys like Murphy, Obada and Addison. Draft all offense. Sign all defense. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

For the past three season now we've had a FA vet as our #3 RB, how's that worked out?  Hard pass on that idea.  Get OL help and another TE via FA, I'm OK with that.  Think I'd look for a rookie WR, assuming Morse returns for this season I'd also draft a rookie G/C to take over for him in 2023 as the starter

 

This team has SB aspirations, to me having 9 rookies on the defense doesn't sound like a very good idea.  Plus not sure there's even close to that many roster spots on the defense, granted some of the late round pick will likely be cut.  Think I'd try to package the 2 7ths and a 6th and try and move up to the 5th with those.  Then use my other 6th on a rookie punter who also holds very well and call it a day.