The Buffalo Bills, without a first-round draft pick Thursday night, were unable to add to bolster their roster during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It was a balance to deal their first-round pick, as it brought the team it’s long coveted No. 1 receiver in Stefon Diggs.
Their rivals in the AFC East, however, made some moves to strengthen their squads. The Bills will have to account for a new crop of rookies when they face off against their divisional foes.
Here is a rundown of the AFC East’s first-round draft picks from Round 1:
Miami Dolphins
QB Tua Tagovalioa
Miami had a busy opening day to the draft, holding immense draft capital with three first-round picks.
With the fifth-overall pick in the draft, the Dolphins selected Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa was the second quarterback off the board, following Joe Burrow, the LSU product who was selected with the first pick in this year’s draft. Tagovailoa is already being mentioned in the same class as the best left-handed quarterbacks in league history. His potential is extremely high, making him a fascinating choice for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa is looked to fill Miami’s long-term void at quarterback since the retirement of Hall of Famer Dan Marino in 2000.
There’s little that Tagovailoa does wrong on the field. He’s an accurate thrower coming out of Alabama. In addition, he is mobile and can easily throw on the run. Scouts have lauded his processing and football IQ. The only downfall to his game is the injury history that followed him throughout college. When healthy, though, he was among the best in all of college football. He will easily push Ryan Fitzpatrick (and Josh Rosen) for Miami’s starting job (if healthy, of course).
OL Austin Jackson
The Dolphins’ second pick further strengthen the team’s offense, as Miami picked offensive tackle Austin Jackson. The 6-foot-4, 322-pound tackle is athletic and mobile. Even at his young age (only 20 years old), his technique is solid. There is tremendous room for growth with Jackson. He had some issues with speed rushers, but overall, he won more battles than he lost in college. If he starts this year, there will be a bit of a learning curve for him. Still, it appears that Jackson will be linked as the long-term blind side protection for Tagovailoa.
CB Noah Igbinoghene
The Dolphins finished out their busy night by selecting corner Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn after trading back. While Igbinoghene is a very good cornerback, the selection is a bit interesting by the Dolphins. The team spent massive money on cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Igbinoghene is an athletic corner who can keep up with any wide receiver. He’s also a physical player, which bodes well for Miami’s penchant to play man-to-man coverage. There are some wrinkles to work out in his game. However, he will not be required to shadow top receivers immediately, and this will give him time to develop at the pro level.