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ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. can envision a world where the Buffalo Bills use their first-round pick on a running back at the 2022 NFL draft.
But he knows it is probably not going to happen.
Kiper, speaking via a conference call with reporters last week, discussed the Bills and their chances of taking a running back with the 25th overall pick. He’s not too keen on the chances.
In the process, Kiper did specifically mention two rushers that are in the first-round ballpark. Those are Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III.
Hall is a bit higher in Kiper’s mind but the second round sounds safer to the analyst regarding his stock.
“Breece Hall is worthy of being a first-round pick. I don’t think he will be because teams don’t need that player. Even if you look at Buffalo, they have Devin Singletary who came on strong at the end of the year,” Kiper said. “If you look at Buffalo in the second round–maybe. If Buffalo didn’t take a running back in Round 1, I have Kenneth Walker going there.”
In that reference to Walker, Kiper is mentioning his latest mock draft. It’s a curious one as defensive back Daxton Hill from Michigan is Buffalo’s first selection.
In the rusher, Walker is a 5-foot-9 runner with size at 211 pounds. But don’t let that make you think he doesn’t have speed. Walker ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and in 2021, no FBS back had more runs of 15+ yards than Walker’s 30.
“Walker is a bulldozer with some juice through the hole,” Kiper said. “He wasn’t used much as a receiver in college, so that’s a question mark. But for a team that needs to take pressure off its quarterback and has excellent receivers, Walker could thrive.”
Walker goes to the Bills in his mock draft because Hall is sent to the New York Jets earlier in Round 2. Hall is a player Buffalo had a pre-draft meeting with, but evidently Kiper does not see him getting to the Bills’ next selection.
Kiper also mentioned he doesn’t think any other running backs will be selected before the final day of the draft as well.
“This running back class is very mediocre overall but there are two standout performers at the top,” Kiper said.
Singletary had a productive end of the 2021 season, however, Zack Moss often found himself as a healthy scratch. He mightily disappointed and the team has since only brought on pass catcher Duke Johnson in free agency.
The Bills’ backfield could need another addition.
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