Play in the trenches is much more important than many realize, or care to remember, in the NFL.
Even so, if the Buffalo Bills pull off what CBS Sports suggests they could, many in western New York might be upset during the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
In a mock, the Bills land Georgia offensive lineman Broderick Jones with their first pick at No. 27 overall in Round 1.
Jones is a talented player who lined up at tackle. He’s a prospect that started on the left side for back-to-back national title-winning teams.
However, Jones, like most prospects, does not come without their knocks. Despite his successes, Jones is young and inexperienced. He only made 19 starts in college. Because of that, Jones might end up playing at guard to start his NFL career to better ease him into the pros.
As things sit on the O-line in Buffalo, Jones’ quickest route to starting might be on the right side of the line. He could either push Ryan Bates or Spencer Brown for playing time.
Either way, once Jones hones in his talents, the Bills could have an excellent player at guard or tackle. During the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus graded Jones a solid overall grade of 78.2 in 15 games played.
But as referenced, in selecting Jones in this fashion from CBS Sports, Buffalo would be passing on some other skilled players that fall down the draft board. Included in that bunch is receiver Jordan Addison, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Reactions to such a scenario in Buffalo might be interesting.
CBS Sports’ breakdown of Jones to the Bills can be found below:
Buffalo still needs help along the offensive line, and in the massive Jones finds a player who can change the tone of things for them up front. Slide him in at right tackle and get to work.
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