One move that has not been considered much for the Buffalo Bills at the 2021 NFL Draft is selecting a tight end with their first-round pick. Much of the Round 1 hype at the position surrounds Kyle Pitts.
The Florida prospect is not going to be on the Bills’ radar because he might be the first non-quarterback picked at the draft. His stock is too high and he’ll be off the board way before Buffalo picks at No. 30.
Beyond Pitts, a name to potentially watch is Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth. Our friend Luke Easterling at Draft Wire put the spotlight on that on Monday, too.
In his latest mock, Buffalo takes Freiermuth with their first-round selection. Here’s the breakdown:
The Bills don’t have too many glaring needs, and I wouldn’t count out a running back, a pass rusher or a corner here. But an upgrade at tight end could be at the top of their priority list when it comes to helping out Josh Allen, and landing a well-rounded prospect like Freiermuth would be a huge boost to both the ground game and the passing attack.
In terms of those around Allen, the tight end position would certainly help the QB the most. There’s an argument that the backfield could use an upgrade, but Freiermuth would bring a playmaking to the tight end spot that the Bills simply lack with Dawson Knox.
But considering Freiermuth’s pre-draft stock, one could see Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane trading back to make this happen. If the Bills could grab an extra pick to move into the early second round in order to take Freiermuth, that might be the ideal situation.
In 2020, Freiermuth, a junior, sited up in four games and had 310 receiving yards and a touchdown. The year prior in 2019 he caught 43 passes for 507 yards with seven touchdowns in 13 games played.
[lawrence-related id=80814,80837,80832,80828]