Bleacher Report doesn’t think the Buffalo Bills should or will give up on 2019 first-round pick Ed Oliver. However, the ninth-overall pick deserves some help in the middle in their mind.
In a recent 2021 NFL mock draft, B/R slates a new position for Buffalo with the No. 30 overall pick, a defensive tackle. The pick is Alabama’s Christian Barmore.
First, here’s the breakdown:
Alabama’s Christian Barmore is one of the most talented prospects in this draft class. Even so, he never put together a dominant campaign during his collegiate career. He flashed as a redshirt freshman, particularly with his ability to collapse the pocket, but he wasn’t a full-time starter.
The 6’5″, 310-pound defensive lineman got his chance to anchor the Crimson Tide’s defensive front in 2020.
Barmore dealt with a knee injury throughout the regular season before finally evolving into a dominant force during Alabama’s national championship run. The interior defender demoralized Notre Dame’s and Ohio State’s offensive lines by overwhelming them and living in the backfield.
While Buffalo’s defensive line can stand to improve, most don’t anticipate a defensive tackle to be the team’s top pick at the upcoming draft. Maybe it’s time to keep Barmore in mind?
While The Draft Network pegs his ideal position as a 3-tech like Oliver, Barmore is labeled as a versatile player who can play the 1-tech as well. Barmore would not replace Star Lotulelei or Oliver immediately, and because of that, he could be drafted as a project type of player like AJ Epenesa was in 2020. Bring him along slowly until he’s ready.
And of course, head coach Sean McDermott loves his versatility. However, we still might have to wait and see what holes the Bills fill in free agency before a defensive tackle is in serious consideration for Buffalo in Round 1.
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