While the Travis Etienne to the Bills train has gained some speed this week, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. decided to toss some cold water on it.
Todd McShay, Kiper’s fellow draft guru at ESPN, reported that the Bills were interested in trading up in Round 1 for Clemson running back Travis Etienne on Monday. McShay’s final mock draft released on Thursday has the Bills making that exact move, too.
Well… Kiper also released his final mock draft ahead of the 2021 NFL draft’s Round 1… and that trade does not happen.
Instead, the Bills opt for staying at their original slot in Kiper’s mock, No. 30 overall, and select Georgia cornerback Tyson Campball. Here’s Kiper’s breakdown:
I thought hard about putting a third first-round running back here — North Carolina’s Javonte Williams would be the guy — but Buffalo also has to get some help at corner. Asante Samuel Jr. could be in consideration too.
While Kiper might be playing it safe here with a cornerback, Campbell is an interesting selection. During the pre-draft process, he’s been mocked all over the place. On some instances, the Bills take him, but at pick No. 61 in Round 2.
But by comparison, Campbell is typically a late first-round pick to early second rounder by most accounts, so this move wouldn’t be a huge stretch and it’d make sense for the Bills as well.
Campbell, a fast and lengthy cornerback at 6-foot-1 would immediately factor into the No. 2 cornerback discussion across from Tre’Davious White. The Bills currently have Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson penciled into that training camp battle.
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