CBS Sports jumped right into the deep end of “needs” for the Buffalo Bills in their latest mock projection of the 2023 NFL draft.
In Round 1, the Buffalo Bills address their void left behind by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The selection is Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 27 overall.
After losing Edmunds to the Chicago Bears during the opening days of free agency, Buffalo was left behind with few options. Currently either Tyrel Dodson or Terrel Bernard would be slated to fill in the spot left by Edmunds, but neither really profiles as a similar player.
Campbell, on the other hand, does.
Campbell’s draft stock is somewhere between the late first and mid-second round. However, Buffalo might not be able to take that risk and hope he’s still there later on for the taking. CBS Sports lays out a realistic selection here with Campbell as the Bills might feel playing the waiting game is not worth it.
Regardless, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott loves his leaders, and Campbell carries those intangibles. He’s also a strong run defender, potentially better than Edmunds was as a rookie. However, Campbell will need to improve his pass defending skill set just as Edmunds did with the Bills if he’s going to be a success in Buffalo.
Here’s the full breakdown from CBS Sports on Campbell to the Bills:
I can hear Iowa fans gritting their teeth reading this as three Hawkeyes from an 8-5 team go in the first round. Campbell is a freaky athlete with excellent read and react skills. His arm length could cause some to worry about his coverage skills, but I believe he’ll prove capable of staying on the field for all three downs.
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