Buffalo Bills make a few trades in this CBS Sports 2020 NFL mock draft.
The Buffalo Bills are unlikely to get back into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft later this week. Sorry, it’s probably going to be a slow Thursday.
But a recent CBS Sports mock draft has the Bills making a roll of the dice in an area the club has done so in recent years: early in the second round. Buffalo makes a move up in a switch with the Panthers to land a first-round talent in Iowa edge defender AJ Epenesa:
The Bills don’t have a ton of needs after a busy offseason that included dealing their first-round pick in a move to add a No. 1 receiver in Stefon Diggs, so they should feel comfortable packaging some picks together to make a move in Round 2 if a prospect of interest falls. Here that’s Epenesa, who disappointed at the combine but should be a strong defensive end at the next level. He’ll mix in as a rookie and take over as a starter in 2021.
The analysis of the move makes a lot of sense for the Bills. Buffalo could be looking to land back in the first round, but really they don’t have enough capital to do so. Moving up high in the second round is exactly what the Bills have done under head coach Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane over the past few drafts. The duo moved up in that ballpark to select Zay Jones and Dion Dawkins. Plus, there’s always the Bills-Panthers connection to consider, although, Carolina has made wholesale changes in their front office this offseason.
In Epenesa, while underwhelming at the scouting combine, he previously was a played pegged as a potential pick for the Bills in the first round of the draft, before the team traded away their top pick for Stefon Diggs. Epenesa would still see some playing time as a rookie, as the Bills consistently run a rotation along their defensive line. He’d likely be behind Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison in the pecking order early in his career, though.
In this mock, the Bills make another late trade back in a deal with the Broncos to add some more depth along their roster. That helps make up for the third-round pick the Bills dealt to the Panthers to select Epenesa.
Of Buffalo’s later picks in the seven-round mock, another AJ, Boston College running back AJ Dillon in the fourth round is the next and most intriguing pick by Buffalo. At near 240 pounds, Dillon is a stocky and powerful pack, perhaps the ideal complement to Devin Singletary.
With only seven days remaining to the 2020 NFL Draft it has become evidently clear where the problem areas are on this Dallas Cowboys roste
With only a few days remaining before the 2020 NFL Draft it has become clear where the problem areas are on this Dallas Cowboys roster. Cornerback, wide receiver, and after losing Robert Quinn, pass rusher may have shot to the top of priority list.
This Cowboys roster doesn’t offer much when it comes to a consistent edge pressure outside of DeMarcus Lawrence, but there is some hope they can get Randy Gregory and newly-acquired Aldon Smith reinstated, but whether they can get peak performance out of either is a longshot. There are developmental guys like Dorance Armstrong, Joe Jackson, and Jalen Jelks; inexperienced and underdeveloped. Tyrone Crawford will likely start at right end but is returning from hip surgery and could be a release candidate if the right fit comes along. While this draft class lacks elite pass rushers outside of Ohio State’s Chase Young, there are high-upside, intriguing prospects who can be valuable to a rotation. We take a look at some of the prospects the Cowboys could target and how they fit.
K’lavon Chassion, DE/OLB, LSU
The 6-foot-3, 254 pound Chassion is a long framed, flexible rusher who can play both with his hand in the ground and in a two-point stance. Chassion’s upside is off the charts matching his athletic profile with his performance towards the end of the season.
Chassion has excellent get off and speed to stress offensive tackles, along with the ability to bend and flatten around the edge. He has a very active motor and is a relentless rusher. Though undersized, he plays with some power and sets a good edge versus the run. Chaisson’s versatile to drop in underneath coverage and play with some awareness. His feel is another trait defensive coordinators have fallen in love with.
He works well when he is involved in games often generating pressure by staying tight to the twist and attacking openings with speed and quickness.
Chassion has a lack of production throughout his career- as he has only recorded 9.5 sacks within two seasons. Chassion finished his redshirt sophomore season with 60 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
He would help the team transition to a more multiple defense because of his pure athleticism something Mike Nolan has stated he will do this season.
Possessing an impressive diversity of moldable pass-rushing ingredients and moves, Chaisson has begun putting the recipe together to become a game-altering pass rusher. While some long-limbed rushers lack the bend and leverage to maximize their length, his fluidity and agility allow him to dip, corner, change direction and close in tight quarters or with extended range. He’s not a physical run defender and might be a liability early in his career against power. Chaisson’s stock has gained momentum with his surging performance matching the elite athletic qualities. It adds up to an increasingly confident projection as an impact pass-rusher with Pro-Bowl potential.
K’Lavon Chaisson is a dynamic threat off the edge — he possesses elite versatility, explosiveness and a prototypical build to play a hybrid EDGE. Chaisson is still developing as a pass rusher but his effectiveness in speed rushes and inside stunts will afford him a pathway to early disruption. Chaisson is a high end run defender with length and heavy hands — a true natural in that regard. The sky is the limit. Chaisson, with more rush versatility, can be a cornerstone defender.
Chaisson is a valuable commodity because he is a lightning-fast edge rusher and twitchy athlete. He is quick off the ball, possessing a fast first-step. He has a burst to run around the corner and a second gear to close on the quarterback. On top of being a pure speed rusher, Chaisson has an impressive arsenal of pass-rushing moves. With his wicked spin move, Chaisson is able to get back to the inside, and his loose hips allow him to dip underneath offensive tackles while getting turned to the quarterback. Chaisson has active hands and is able to use them at the same time as his feet. With his dynamic skill set with rare speed off the edge, Chaisson has the potential to be a double-digit sack-producing pass-rusher in the NFL.
2020 NFL Mock Drafts following the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine from Bills Wire staff.
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine concluded with some stellar performances both on and off the field. The amateur extravaganza has caused some names to rise on draft boards while other players created more questions about their respective futures.
Based on these evaluations, the Bills Wire staff has determined some interesting possibilities for Buffalo’s selections during the upcoming draft. Editor Nick Wojton, along with staff writers Justin DiLoro, McKenna Middlebrook, Kyle Silagyi, and Matt Johnson, have all played the role of Bills general manager Brandon Beane.
Here is Bills Wire’s post-combine, four-round mock draft below:
Round 1: Buffalo Bills | pick No. 22
Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins, Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nick’s Pick:
WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
This pick is not going to be cemented until the dust has settled after free agency. Do the Bills add some pass-rushing help there? What about a top wideout? That will clearly dictate things but the overlying truth is the Bills have lacked a true wide receiver prospect for the entirety of Sean McDermott and Beane’s time with the club. Zay Jones was a flop. That needs to be addressed and this is the deepest playmaker class the duo is going to see. Jefferson, at 6-foot-1, isn’t the massively large target some Bills observers had in mind. But he’s a great route runner and at the combine, showed he has speed, running a 4.43 40-yard dash time. Oh, and his hands? He had 111 catches, 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns… just last season alone. For what it’s worth, the Bills did meet with Jefferson at the combine as well.
Justin’s Pick:
WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
Let’s not mess around here. The Bills are in need of a playmaker at the wide receiver position, and Higgins looks to be the best fit at this point in the draft. It’s no secret that the draft is deep at the receiver position. However, Buffalo should take the best player who can give quarterback Josh Allen a dynamic playmaker out wide. Higgins, along with incumbents John Brown and Cole Beasley, help create a solid starting trio. Higgins averaged a stellar 19.8 yards per catch this past year. He’s the type of receiver that can aid in Allen finding his mojo with respect to the deep ball. At 6-foot-4, the Clemson product gives the Bills a large target who can complete in contested catches. He has experience at all receiver positions, runs a full route tree, and wins battles against corners. Oh, and Lance Zierlein’s NFL comparison for Higgins? AJ Green. Let’s not overthink this one.
McKenna’s Pick:
EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
The Buffalo Bills have two areas of concern heading into the 2020 draft, wide receiver and edge rusher. With a loaded wide receiver class, the Buffalo Bills can find receiver talent in later rounds. Gross-Matos recorded 18.5 sacks at Penn State, during his three-year career at Penn State. Standing at 6-6-foot-5, he uses his length and speed to reach the opposing quarterback. Gross-Matos also comes from a 4-3 defense in college, so he’ll fit in with McDermott’s dominant defense.
Kyle’s Pick:
DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
Yes, wide receiver is undeniably Buffalo’s biggest need at this point in time. With that being said, there’s likely not a wideout who is worth selecting at No. 22 if Jerry Jeudy, Ceedee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs are off the board, this due in large part to the depth of this year’s receiving class. Let’s instead allow the Bills to make a luxury pick, this coming in the form of Epenesa. Buffalo is in need of a young and potentially dominant player at defensive end, and Epenesa, the 6-foot-5 pass rusher who tallied 26.5 sacks throughout his collegiate career, certainly fits the bill. He’s a tenacious defender who typically wins with strength, something he did often throughout college. He’d be a tremendous rotational piece in his rookie season, learning from the likes of Jerry Hughes and (potentially) Trent Murphy before taking over as a full-time starter in 2021. His iffy-combine may be a cause of concern for some, but tape typically doesn’t lie. Epenesa has that in his favor.
Matt’s Pick:
EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Rush defense was a flaw that plagued the Bills defense for a majority of the season. Perhaps, even the difference between a home playoff game last season, giving up an average of 4.3 per carry, and many crucial first downs.
This is a good draft for helping to strengthen that aspect of an otherwise solid defense, and where the Bills are picking in this year’s draft, there are a couple of options here to bolster that line. Whether it’s Epenesa, Gross-Matos, or Chaisson, the Bills are in a good slot for a defensive end. Chaisson has good size for the position and is a disruptive force. As a sophomore in 2019, he had 34 tackles and 6.5 sacks, as well as a national title with LSU. Oh, he was first-team All-SEC selection by the way, too.
A young player, ripe for grooming in a culture-based team. I believe that he would be a good fit on this Bills defense, but regardless of who is available at this point on the defensive line, Bills will have some quality athletes to choose from.
USA TODAY’s Draft Wire released a pre-combine mock draft and in it the Dolphins land two Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1st round.
The Miami Dolphins’ mock draft hauls have more variety than the Powerball. With three first round picks and five in the first two rounds, the Dolphins are stocked to the brim — and each scenario seems to bring a different haul for Miami. It’s a great problem to have. But there’s enough scenarios to make your head spin and a plethora of prospects to try to keep straight.
The latest effort from USA TODAY’s Draft Wire should have Dolphins fans pretty fired up, however. The Dolphins have openly stated that they’d like to play a physical, intelligent brand of football. Head coach Brian Flores preaches physicality and intelligence. The Dolphins’ 1st-round haul in this scenario gives Miami three talents who comfortably check the boxes.
5th overall – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
The connection between the Dolphins and Tagovailoa will persist until someone explicitly tell us it isn’t going to happen. Or until when the Dolphins turn in the card.
18th overall – OL Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
It is a bit of a surprise to see Wirfs available at 18, but the emergence of other offensive line talents like Louisville’s Mekhi Becton and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills have put Wirfs’ status as a top prospect at the tackle position in question. Additionally, some people will inevitably feel as though he’s better suited inside at guard. Whether he plays inside or outside, he’d immediately be the Dolphins’ best lineman.
26th overall – DL A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
Epenesa is a bit more of a scheme specific fit and for him to make it to the Dolphins at 26, he’s going to have to survive a selection by the New England Patriots — who could also use his services. But if New England is resided to adding offensive weapons for Tom Brady, then the Dolphins may reap the benefits and land this heavy handed standout.
The remainder of Draft Wire’s mock gives the Dolphins a running back (Georgia’s D’Andre Swift) at 39, a center (LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry) and a slot receiver (Penn State’s K.J. Hamler) in the top-100.
Buffalo Bills select Iowa DE AJ Epenesa in Bucky Brooks’ first mock draft for NFL.com
Former Buffalo Bills and pro player turned analyst in NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks sent out his first 2020 NFL Draft mock this week.
In it, the Bills opt for one of the upcoming draft’s top pass rushers in Iowa’s AJ Epenesa.
Here’s how Brooks breaks down the pick:
Hard-hat-and-lunch-pail player with enough pass-rush skills to make immediate contributions as a rookie starter.
If correct, Brooks’ pick could be a big addition for the Bills via the No. 22 overall pick. Buffalo could use improved play from their pass rushers next season as Shaq Lawson led their defensive ends with only 6.5 sacks. Lawson is also a pending free agent and might need replacing himself.
The junior will likely be one of the top pass rushers taken at April’s draft after he produced back-to-back strong seasons for Iowa. Following a 10.5 sack season with 16.5 tackles for loss in 2018, Epenesa added 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2019. Some very early scouting reports even compared his skill set to that of Nick Bosa, who was the second-overall pick at the 2019 draft to the 49ers. Bosa led his team’s defense to the Super Bowl this Sunday.
In Brooks’ mock, Epenesa is the third EDGE defender off the board behind Ohio State’s Chase Young (2nd) and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson (16th).
