ESPN’s Todd McShay has a surprise for Bills in latest 2020 mock draft

What the Buffalo Bills do in Todd McShay’s latest mock draft for ESPN.

The Bills had a productive season out of their third-round 2019 rookies last year. Among that pair of picks was running back Devin Singletary (& TE Dawson Knox).

In 12 games played due to a hamstring injury and sitting out Week 17, Singletary mustered up 775 rushing yards, a 5.1 yards per carry average and two touchdowns. Singletary also added 194 yards in the air on 29 catches with another pair of scores.

Still, ESPN’s Todd McShay says the Bills can’t pass up the chance in front of them in his latest mock draft. The Bills, at the No. 22 overall pick, select another running back to pair with Singletary. The pick is Georgia’s D’Andre Swift.

Here’s how McShay breaks down his decision:

Even with John Brown and Cole Beasley combining for 1,838 receiving yards in 2019, Buffalo could use an upgrade in the receiving corps (Clemson’s Tee Higgins could be an interesting fit). And with Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson both headed for free agency, no returning lineman had more than five sacks last season. But I just love Swift’s explosiveness, and adding a dynamic playmaker like him to a backfield that already includes Devin Singletary could really make this run-oriented offense pop in 2020. Plus, you can’t discount Swift’s pass-catching ability — he could be a great three-down back.

With Swift, the Bills take the first running back off the board in McShay’s draft. In 2019, the Bills did get solid production from Frank Gore early in the year, but as the season wore on, Gore slowed down. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott did say at his end of season press conference that he believes the NFL is a two-back league. So with or without Gore, it likely won’t just be Singletary taking the load in 2020.

Singletary is a back that gets in and out of quick cuts with ease while Swift, with a solid frame at 5-foot-9 and 215 pounds, eats up yards with his mixture of hard-nosed running and explosive playing style.

As McShay’s analysis mentions, the Bills could use a receiver in their lineup, as things currently sit. The Bills pass on the likes of Higgins, LSU’s Justin Jefferson and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault when selecting Swift.

While perhaps unfair to the player, unless the Bills added a solid playmaker on the outside via free agency before the draft, one can think it’s safe to say fans wouldn’t be overly happy about this pick.

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