Tag: buffalo bills mock draft

2020 NFL Draft: Final Bills Wire staff mocks

Final Bills Wire staff mock drafts for the 2020 NFL Draft for the Buffalo Bills.

Little introduction needed.

It’s Thursday and the 2020 NFL Draft is upon us. While the Bills don’t have a first-round pick as things kickoff, Buffalo still enters the selection process with seven picks.

The first is slated in the second round and the last at No. 239. What could the Bills possibly do with those?

The Bills Wire staff once again comes together to present perhaps the largest grouping of mock for Bills Mafia to digest. Managing editor Nick Wojton’s final mock is joined by contributors Kyle Silagyi, Justin DiLoro, Matt Johnson, McKenna Middlebrook and Jeremy Juhasz.

Check out all six mock drafts here, and either let us know on social media or our message boards which one you’d prefer:

Boise State Broncos linebacker Curtis Weaver. Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

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Nick’s mock

Round 2 | No. 54: DE Curtis Weaver, Boise State

Round 3 | No. 86: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State

Round 4 | No. 128: RB Zach Moss, Utah

Round 5 | No. 167: RB/ WR Antonio Gibson, Memphis

Round 6 | No. 188: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty

Round 6 | No. 207: TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati

Round 7 | No. 239: OL Daryl Williams, Ole Miss

Without a need in sight for the Bills, it’s best player available time in Orchard Park. Starting things off my mock is Boise State’s Curtis Weaver. He lacks some speed, but aside from that, what didn’t he do in the Mountain West? Where he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award just last season. With that in mind, Weaver could be a first-round talent the Bills grab in the second round because he’ll have to prove he can play in the pros. The Bills can stick him in their defensive line rotation and even give him a bit of a redshirt type of season behind Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison.

If the move is Weaver, Round 2 must be offense, right? Not here. Akeem Davis-Gaither, the App. State linebacker, is the move. Two things are for sure about Sean McDermott. He runs that rotation on the D-line, and he loved what Lorenzo Alexander brought to the table. AJ Klein is a short-term fix for the Bills there, but Davis-Gaither can be groomed for the long haul.

Finally some offense, and some offense the rest of the way for me. Running back Zach Moss from Utah isn’t going to be Frank Gore in the locker room, but he can be him on the field. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in power. A strong complement to Devin Singletary. Sticking in the backfield, kind of… Antonio Gibson from Memphis is snagged next. His stock falls because he doesn’t even have a true position to play. Is he a running back? Is he a wideout? Some teams would shy from that, Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will love it.

Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden, Cincinnati’s Josiah Deguara and Ole Miss’s Daryl Williams rounds this out. Gandy-Golden, at 6-foot-4, brings some size at the wideout room. The Bills brought in Greg Olsen this offseason for a free agent visit, so Deguara, who’s met with the Bills multiple times in the pre-draft process, is a late-round pick as a tight end, and then Williams could compete with… you guessed it, the Daryl Williams already signed in free agency, for playing time on the O-line. But on a more serious note, he’s a former team captain and versatile.

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2020 NFL Draft: Bills land Curtis Weaver, Zach Moss in 4-round mock

Buffalo Bills land RB Zack Moss, DE Curtis Weaver in Draft Wire’s latest four round 2020 NFL Draft mock.

Despite not having a first-round pick, in Draft Wire‘s latest four-round mock ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft still sees the Bills land a solid 1-2 punch with their first two selections.

At pick No. 54, the Bills start things off with Boise State edge defender Curtis Weaver.

Curtis Weaver #99 of the Boise State Broncos. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)

Weaver is a bit of a hybrid player like Lorenzo Alexander was for the Bills. His scouting reports say the defender can lineup as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt or as a standup linebacker, but he’d likely be an end with the Bills. Overall, he had a knack for getting into the backfield in college. Weaver recorded 34.5 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss in his career at Boise State.

The Senior Bowl and recent scouting combine proved him well too, where he posted a 7.0-second time in the 3-cone drill and a 4.27-second short shuttle time. Weaver was also the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.

Some have Weaver pegged as a first-round edge defending talent, but with the Mountain West in mind, that’s not high-profile SEC play in college. He’ll have to proven himself as a formidable defender in the NFL with a high jump in competition en route.

 

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2020 NFL Draft: Bills take DE, RB in 3-round mock

Without a first-round pick, the Buffalo Bills will make waiting awhile to make a selection at the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Without a first-round pick, the Buffalo Bills will make waiting awhile to make a selection at the 2020 NFL Draft.

After digging through 53 picks, Draft Wire finally sends a pick to Buffalo in their latest mock draft, and with their top pick, the Bills land a defensive end, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver.

In Weaver, the Bills would land a versatile player that showed an ability to play with his hand in the dirt and off tackle. However, he’d be a defensive end for the Bills. He was the 2019 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, racking up 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Weaver also had an interception.

In terms of run vs. pass defending, he’s more of a proven run defender. Weaver would join the likes of Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison along the Bills’ defensive end position group. Those two will lead the way, but the Bills could use a young prospect in that group since both of those guys are already over 30.

Following up Weaver, the Bills then add a running back in the mock draft, Utah’s Zach Moss at the No. 86 overall pick.

At 5-foot-10 and 224 pounds, Moss would provide the bigger complement to Devin Singletary in Buffalo’s backfield. His running style echos that as Moss is more of a power rusher instead of a home run threat. Moss only put up a 4.65 40-yard dash time, but did have 19 reps on the bench press.

 

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Todd McShay’s two-round mock sends Bills WR in second round

ESPN’s Todd McShay’s second mock draft send the Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chase Claypool from Notre Dame in the second round.

The Bills no longer have a first-round pick, and maybe ESPN’s Todd McShay really likes sending out Buffalo Bills predictions? While we don’t know that answer for sure, what’s certain is that McShay released his first two-round mock draft of the offseason on Tuesday.

Since the Bills lost their first rounder in their trade for Stefon Diggs, Buffalo needed that second pick to appear in McShay’s latest mock draft released on Tuesday. And speaking of Diggs, McShay still has a wide receiver going to the Bills at pick No. 54 in the second round.

The selection in Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool. Here’s how McShay breaks the pick down:

54. Buffalo Bills
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
Claypool brings size to a wide receiver group already flush with downfield threats in Stefon Diggs and John Brown. Now Josh Allen has a tall target to find in the red zone, too. Claypool has the hands and strength to make contested catches look easy.

Despite adding Diggs to the likes of John Brown and Cole Beasley, the Bills didn’t add something with that acquestion: Size. Diggs can certainly make contested catches as he’s one of the best in the NFL at doing so, but you can’t teach size, and Claypool is a 6-foot-4, bid-bodied target that could appeal to the Bills.

Another reason the Bills could still go receiver with their top pick is a lack of depth at the position, espeically in regard to bigger targes, and simply youth. Diggs is 26 and has three years left on his current contract, he could also stick around longer. But Brown, 29, and Beasley, 30, are closer to the ends of their careers.

Adding Claypool behind those three would provide the Bills a youthful prospect in their wideout room for the first time since Zay Jones, except unlike Jones, Claypool wouldn’t have early pressures to produce in his career behind such a formidable trio.

Claypool had 13 touchdownns in 13 games played last season. In total, he had 66 catches for 1,037 yards. He’s also not afraid to use his size, as Pro Football Focus says Claypool forced 14 missed tackles last season and had a 124.9 overall passer rating when targeted.

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4-round mock draft sees Bills fortify defense

The Bills have added a lot to their defense this offseason and when the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around, Draft Wire sees that trend more than continuing. 

The Bills have added a lot to their defense this offseason and when the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around, Draft Wire sees that trend more than continuing.

With their first-round pick now turned into wide receiver Stefon Diggs via trade, the Bills decide stick on defense with their next three picks in DW’s mock, selecting an edge defender, defensive back and defensive lineman.

Here’s a rundown of the Bills’ three selections in Draft Wire’s latest mock draft:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Julian Okwara. Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

54. Buffalo Bills | Julian Okwara | EDGE | Notre Dame

While the Bills added Mario Addison to their defensive end spot this offseason, he’s 32 while Jerry Hughes is 31. While still plenty left in the tank for those two, Buffalo lacks a long-term prospect at the position.

At 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, Okwara has the makings of an NFL defensive end. Okwara sat out the recent combine due to injury, but he’s flashed as a strong pass rusher at Notre Dame who plays with a high motor, something the Bills will covet. Run defense is where Okwara will likely need to prove his worth at the pro level.

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PODCAST: Full Bills’ mock draft, post-free agency edition

Kyle Silagyi is joined by Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to construct a seven-round 2020 mock draft for the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills were aggressive in improving its roster to start the 2020 NFL offseason, acquiring wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings before adding eight players through free agency.

The Bills are now left with a roster that lacks any glaring holes. Though there are areas in which the team could improve, Buffalo appears to currently possess something it hasn’t since the early 1990s – a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

Though the team’s roster is already stout, the Bills could strengthen its fortunes with a strong 2020 draft. On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to construct a seven-round post-free agency mock draft for Buffalo.

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PFF analytics peg this OL prospect as fit for the Bills

Pro Football Focus’ analytics say Ezra Cleveland is the best prospect fit for the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills are in the market for some help on offense once against this offseason. The club made strides a year ago, but more have to be made.

Pro Football Focus, known for their deep-dive into football analytics numbers, produces traditional mock drafts like the rest.

But with their analytics background in mind, PFF released their first strictly analytics-based mock draft of the offseason. While the outlet does say this isn’t their exact guesses as to what each team will do realistically at the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s solely featured off of what the analytics say in regard to the player that could improve a team the most.

For the Bills, that analytical match is an offensive lineman who shined at the recent combine, Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland. Here’s how that match was made:

Cleveland’s impressive Combine workouts put his pass-blocking athleticism score in the same ballpark as Tyron Smith, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil. While he projects to give up a slightly higher pressure rate, beggars can’t be choosers after the poor performance of Cody Ford, who can move to guard.

Via the combine, Cleveland turned heads with a 4.93 second 40-yard dash time and a 7.26 second 3-cone drill. He has a 6-foot-6, 311-pound frame so those numbers are pretty ridiculous.

The biggest factor in this potential move could be moving Ford inside because Quinton Spain departs via free agency. The Bills have yet to re-sign him. But Cleveland did play at Boise State in college, so tabbing him at pick No. 22 could be a reach. The Bills have been known in recent years to move up early in the second round of the draft, so perhaps that could be the type of deal they make to land Cleveland, along with another selection at No. 22 overall.

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B/R send 40-yard star Justin Jefferson to Bills in post-combine mock

Bleacher Report post-NFL Combine mock draft sends Buffalo Bills WR Justin Jefferson;.

The 40-yard dash at the yearly NFL Scouting Combine usually sends a few prospects moving up draft boards. Among those guys in 2020 was LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Viewed as a solid route running and strong pass-catcher while having balls thrown by No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow in college, speed was the question. Jefferson decided to partake in the 40 at this year’s combine and put up a 4.43-second mark. That ended up being tied for the sixth-best among his position.

All things considered, Jefferson, who said he met with the Bills at the combine as well, certainly caught the attention of NFL teams. Bleacher Report seems to think one of those teams could be the Bills.

In their latest mock draft following the combine, Jefferson goes to the Bills at pick No. 22:

After running a 4.43 40 in Indianapolis, any talk of Justin Jefferson falling in the draft is officially over.

The LSU star receiver was already billed as one of the best route-runners in the class, but after showing home run speed, it’s easy to see teams lining up to fall in love with him. The Buffalo Bills, a team with a desperate need for a game-changer at wide receiver, should be first in that line.

Jefferson doesn’t have the elite size some would like to see Buffalo add, but his routes and agility are a quarterback’s best friend. With big-play potential after the catch and the speed to stretch the field, Jefferson is what quarterback Josh Allen needs.

Jefferson would make sense for the Bills. Most wideouts would. He isn’t the 6-foot-4 Tee Higgins from Clemson (who did not workout at the combine), but the Bills could add size via free agency or later in the draft, too.

In Jefferson, the Bills would take the fourth receiver off the board. In a bit of a tough one to swallow, Alabama’s Henry Ruggs actually lasts until the pick before the Bills, but is selected by the Eagles. That’s a scenario that could play out in real time since both are receiver-needy teams. It’s hard to envision Ruggs hanging around that late, though. If he makes it past the Broncos at pick No. 15, maybe the Bills could package some of their later picks to move up a spot or two to jump the Eagles for Ruggs, if they love him enough.

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ESPN’s Todd McShay changes Bills’ selection in post-combine mock draft

ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay has Buffalo Bills select Clemson WR Tee Higgins in post-scouting combine mock draft.

Following the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, ESPN NFL Draft guru Todd McShay has changed his mind on the Buffalo Bills, sort of.

During the combine, he said the Bills should address their offense.

“They’ve got to get more consistent now in the passing game. I think they’ve got to get some depth and future, if you will, in the running back position, wide receiver, and playmakers on the offensive side, to go along with Josh Allen and that big arm,” McShay said.

Prior to the workouts, he pegged a running back to the Bills, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift at pick No. 22. In McShay’s post-combine mock draft, the Bills stay on offense, but this time the pick is Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Here’s how McShay explains it:

Let’s find Josh Allen a receiver to pair with John Brown. I thought about Brandon Aiyuk (Arizona State), but his game is very similar to Brown’s. What the Bills want instead is a big, strong receiver who can make tough contested catches and create matchup problems in the red zone. Enter Higgins, with his 6-4, 216-pound frame. He will come down with any ball thrown his way and then make defenders miss with his strength. The Bills also will be looking for offensive linemen, but the value isn’t right at No. 22. And while they could also use a running back to pair with Devin Singletary, that’s a position that can be addressed on Day 2.

At the combine, Higgins interviewed with reporters but decided not to partake in workouts. That’s not surprising as many top prospects decided to do that in an effort to not hurt their draft stock. Higgins is likely a mid-to-late first-round pick at the 2020 draft, which is right in the Bills’ wheelhouse. Higgins cited his extended season with Clemson playing for the national title as a reason why he sat out, too.

Amongst Bills observers, Higgins’ size is exactly what makes him an intriguing prospect. Although he didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the combine, he said his goal was to run a 4.4-second time in it. He might do so at Clemson’s pro day.

In McShay’s mock draft, Higgins is the fifth wideout selected in the draft. Among those who are selected before him is LSU’s Justin Jefferson. Jefferson is another bigger receiver prospect and the Eagles select him at pick No. 21, right before Buffalo’s selection. Unlike Higgins, Jefferson did opt to take part in some of the combine’s event and his stock soared after he posted a 4.43 40-yard time.

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PODCAST: Full Bills’ mock draft following 2020 NFL draft combine

Kyle Silagyi is joined by Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to construct a 7-round post-draft combine mock draft for the Buffalo Bills.

The first major event of “draft season” is in the books, as the 2020 NFL Draft Combine has now come and gone.

We’re now less than two months out from the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, a three-day extravaganza in which the Buffalo Bills will look to add exciting young prospects to their already talented roster.

On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to construct a post-combine mock draft for Bills. They also briefly discuss the embodiment of misery that is the Buffalo Sabres.

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