Tag: Zack Moss

WATCH: Top-three Zack Moss’ college moments

Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss highlights.

The Bills are hoping to strike running back gold in back-to-back third rounds of the draft.

In 2019, Buffalo’s NFL Draft haul included Devin Singletary. Recently in 2020, the Bills decided that Zack Moss could be a strong complement to Singletary in their backfield.

With Moss and his college career in mind, there’s reason to believe that the record-setter could be just that. Moss had a ton of big moments during his four seasons with the Utah Utes.

Here’s a video breakdown of his three biggest:

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”qc5r2ABpFZ-780883-7498″]

[lawrence-related id=60729,60723,60711,60706]

Mel Kiper Jr. calls Bills’ Zack Moss an ‘instant impact’ rookie

Buffalo Bills RB Zack Moss gets praise from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. pegged just 15 players of the many college prospects that have new homes as “instant impact players.”

Of those 15 is one new Buffalo Bills player, running back Zack Moss.

Here’s how Kiper broke it down:

I was surprised to see Moss still on the board in the third round, and the Bills picked up my fifth-ranked running back to play the Frank Gore role next to Devin Singletary who was picked in the third round a year ago. Moss had eight games with 100 rushing yards last season but also showed some receiving skills, catching 28 passes and averaging 13.9 yards per reception. For as good as Singletary was as a rookie, he had only two rushing touchdowns, so it could be Moss who gets the carries inside the 10-yard line. This is a really strong tandem to help Josh Allen, who enters a critical Year 3.

Moss certainly will get his fair share of touches. Singletary will hopefully stay healthy in front of him, but he did miss some early season games with a hamstring injury. Hopefully that won’t be the case in 2020. Regardless, the rock will be shared in Buffalo’s backfield.

Moss might actually be the Bills’ only “instant impact” rookie in their 2020 NFL Draft class. Second rounder AJ Epenesa will be stuck behind Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison in the pecking order early in his career, and just about all of Buffalo’s other selections also won’t see big playing time in their first seasons.

[lawrence-related id=60673,60621,60616,60608]

PFF: Bills had NFL’s third-best draft

Pro Football Focus says the Bills’ 2020 NFL Draft class was the league’s third-best.

Pro Football Focus created a “pick valuation method” and applied it to their pre-2020 NFL Draft big board. In doing so, the analytics outlet determined which team’s in the league got the best value in their selections.

Via this formula of sorts, the Bills had the third-best draft class the outlet said:

Not many are talking about the Bills as “winners” because they didn’t have a ton of picks. But for the most part, we saw the guys they did take as great value adds. Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa was the 20th-ranked player on PFF’s draft board, and they nabbed him at 54th overall (0.25 WAR over expectation). They also had one of the biggest late-round steals of the draft when they found our 69th-ranked player, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, all the way down at pick 167 (0.18 WAR over expectation).

Well, by “not many picks,” PFF certainly is referring to the Bills lacking a first-round pick. But with their selections, the Bills addressed some key spots on their roster and didn’t appear to reach in doing so.

Not just PFF, but many draft anaylsts had Epenesa ranked as a first-round pick. Running back Zack Moss was also considered one of the draft’s best rushers and the Bills stood pat in Round 3 and landed him.

The only two teams to edge out the Bills in PFF’s ranks were the Browns and Cowboys, who sit in the top spot. PFF’s list only includes 10 draft classes and unforutnately the Bills are the only AFC East team to appear.

Shame.

 

[lawrence-related id=60568,60587,60562,60581]

10 takeaways from Bills’ Sean McDermott, post-draft

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott interview following the 2020 NFL Draft.

For the first time in a long time, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott discussed all-things Bills on Thursday.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and general manager Brandon Beane touched on a lot of those topics. McDermott did as well, but we also haven’t heard from the coach since free agency, either. So he certainly touched on a wide-range of topics with all that has happened since then.

With that, here are 10 takeaways from McDermott’s post-draft conference call/ presser:

Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Welcoming Diggs

This week was the first time McDermott chatted with the media since the draft, and since his team got hold of wide receiver Stefon Diggs. So how does he feel about the new No. 1 wide receiver on his roster? McDermott, like general manager Brandon Beane, let’s the tape do the talking.

“At the end of the day, I think when you look at the production that Stefon has experienced over the course of his career, that speaks for itself, right? He’s had big roles in games and then we’ve faced him at least once during the regular season in the most recent past here,” McDermott said. “He’s certainly been awfully good to this point. It’s an opportunity for him to continue to grow. It’s an opportunity for us to get a good football player that will help us win.”

 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10

The biggest and best steals of the 2020 NFL draft class

Every draft class has a group of unheralded and underdrafted players who become NFL stars. Here’s this year’s group of sleeper candidates.

Player value is in the eye of the beholder, and certainly in the eyes of the team decision-makers selecting a draft prospect. When the Seahawks took Richard Sherman in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Sherman was a lightly-regarded cornerback and ex-receiver with embryonic coverage skills, but he was also a perfect fit for Pete Carroll’s single-high coverage schemes, which require his cornerbacks to be aggressive off the line of scrimmage and to cover at a lockdown rate down the boundary. Because he was in the right place, Sherman was able to become the pre-eminent cover cornerback of his era.

The Bengals stole Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins in the fourth round of the 2010 draft because Atkins was allegedly undersized. But that organization understood that Atkins’ height (6-foot-1) also amounted to leverage, and Atkins used his leverage, not to mention his play speed and hand technique, to make eight Pro Bowls and amass 75.5 sacks, 171 quarterback hits, and 100 tackles for loss.

So, when it comes to deciding right off the bat who’s a draft steal, opportunity takes a part. Scheme fit and coaching are important. And talent will out in the right place. With all that in mind, here are the draft picks in 2020 we think have the best opportunities to outpace where they were actually selected.

Zack Moss | Eno Benjamin | Antonio Gibson | Denzel Mims | Laviska Shenault Jr. | Josh Jones | A.J. Epenesa | Zack Baun | Marlon Davidson | Amik Robertson | Jaylon Johnson | Trevon Diggs | Antoine Winfield Jr. | Ashtyn Davis

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14, Page 15

TD Wire grades Bills 2020 draft haul an ‘A’

Buffalo Bills earn grade of A from Touchdown Wire following the 2020 NFL Draft.

Touchdown Wire liked what they saw out of the Buffalo Bills at the 2020 NFL Draft.

Considering Stefon Diggs their first-round pick thanks to the trade the Bills pulled off with the Vikings prior to the selection event, Buffalo earned high-praise for their overall body of work.

The Bills landed a grade of ‘A’ from TD Wire. Here’s why:

The Bills gave up their 2020 first-round pick to the Vikings for receiver Stefon Diggs, which may have made their receiver group the NFL’s best. And in the fourth round, they took UCF wideout Gabe Davis, who projects well as a DK Metcalf/end-of-career Anquan Boldin type as a physical deep target. It’s certainly time for quarterback Josh Allen to take the proverbial next step. In case Allen can’t, the Bills also took Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in the fifth round. Fromm’s physical limitations are well-known, but he has upside as a Kellen Moore-style backup with a big football brain.

But the two big names in Buffalo’s draft are unquestionably second-round pass-rusher A.J. Epenesa from Iowa, and third-round running back Zack Moss from Utah. Epenesa isn’t a speed rusher, but he has power, great technique, and the ability to move inside in certain packages. And Moss brings another Bills draft pick to mind — Marshawn Lynch — with his frenzied, tackle-breaking running style and surprising agility.

The main thing to remember is that Epenesa and Moss won’t have to do all the work themselves heading into their rookie seasons. That’s not the case elsewhere, but it could help the two develop. Less pressure could mean better results since the Bills will have the likes of Jerry Hughes and Devin Singletary to lean on at their respective position groups. Perhaps when we really see who struck gold at the draft in a few years, that factor will help the Bills.

While TD Wire loved the Bills’ draft, it loved the Jets’ haul just a bit more. Gang Green landed an overall grade of A-plus, just edging out Buffalo for the best in the division. However, the Bills did easily beat out the Dolphins and Patriots, who earned grades of B and C, respectively.

 

[lawrence-related id=60344,60330,60309,60246]

PODCAST: Grading the Bills’ 2020 NFL Draft haul

Kyle Silagyi is joined by McKenna Middlebrook and Justin DiLoro to grade the Buffalo Bills’ haul in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Despite not making a selection on the first night of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills were still able to construct a solid haul throughout the three-day event, adding talent and potential at a number of positions of need.

Headling Buffalo’s class is Iowa defender A.J. Epenesa, a first-round caliber player whom the Bills selected with pick No. 54. The team followed that pick up with the selection of Zack Moss, a Utah running back who will serve as a complementary back to Devin Singletary straight away. The Bills added to the receiving corps on day three in addition to selecting Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, an intelligent signal-caller who led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship in his true freshman season.

On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to grade Buffalo’s picks in the 2020 drafts. They also discuss a few of the crazier draft picks made around the league.

Subscribe

[protected-iframe id=”4b53a4e7182a192e5e65eb6af3aa0185-105974704-98603886″ info=”https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/7567459/embed/v4″ width=”100%” height=”300″ frameborder=”0″ style=”background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; max-width: 700px;” scrolling=”no”]

[lawrence-related id=60378,60413,60426]

High praise for Bills picks from Draft Wire

Draft Wire on the Buffalo Bills 2020 picks.

Draft Wire only gave the Buffalo Bills a mark of “B” for their 2020 NFL Draft work. Still, the outlet was very impressed with Buffalo’s haul at last week’s event.

Here’s how Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling breaks it down:

Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa was a bargain in the back half of the second round, and landing Utah running back Zack Moss in the third round gives the Bills a tough, physical runner who is the perfect complement to Devin Singletary.

Value and depth was the name of the game for Buffalo on Day 3, grabbing two dynamic pass-catchers in UCF’s Gabriel Davis and Oregon State’s Isaiah Hodgins, while also getting a high-floor quarterback prospect in Georgia’s Jake Fromm much later than he was expected to come off the board. Georgia Southern’s Tyler Bass was arguably the best kicker in the class, and Pitt’s Dane Jackson was one of the Senior Bowl’s most impressive corners.

Really there’s no negative praise for the Bills here. Perhaps Draft Wire wanted some better quality receivers for the team after this draft, but Buffalo did address the lack of size in their receiver room in Davis and Hodgins. The rest of DW’s breakdown is pretty status quo. The Bills added depth and their lone Day 1 impact player might be Moss.

Overall, Draft Wire only pegged Buffalo’s draft as the third-best in the AFC East. The Dolphins and Jets both landed in A-territory while the Patriots bring up the rear with a C-plus mark.

 

[lawrence-related id=60352,60344,60330,60309]

Zack Moss, Jake Fromm, Gabriel Davis land Rookie of Year odds

Buffalo Bills trio of rookies given odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

There’s a couple of players on the Buffalo Bills that were given odds to land the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2020. One of which is pretty surprising.

Per BetOnline, third-round running back Zack Moss leads the Bills’ pack at 20/1 odds. That’s the eighth-best odds handed out among any player, and tied with Rams running back Cam Akers.

The best odds were given to Bengals’ No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Joe Burrow, at 5/2. The Dolphins’ new QB Tua Tagovailoa trails at 8/1 while Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has the best odds among all running backs and the third-best overall at 9/1, in a tie with another running back, Colts rusher Jonathan Taylor.

Moss could be a good bet, but if you’re looking for a longshot, the next listed Bills player is among the longest, one would assume.

Fifth-round quarterback selection Jake Fromm appears on the list, the only player with 66/1 odds. A bit surprising considering he won’t be taking over for Josh Allen, pending injury. But there’s a similar circumstance listed. Jordan Love was picked by the Packers in Round 1 in a bit of a shock. He also won’t be starting, all things Aaron Rodgers considered. But Love still landed 33/1 odds.

In another twist, Fromm actually does edge out the final Bill listed, Gabriel Davis. The receiver has 80/1 odds. While he won’t surpass Stefon Diggs or John Brown anytime soon, one could imagine him seeing the field much more than Fromm as a rookie.

 

[lawrence-related id=60309,60303,60295,60278]

PFF label Bills 2020 draft among NFL’s best

Pro Football Focus thought a lot about the AFC East and their 2020 NFL Draft hauls. Among those were the Buffalo Bills. 

Pro Football Focus thought a lot about the AFC East and their 2020 NFL Draft hauls. Among those were the Buffalo Bills.

Overall, the Bills earned a grade of A-minus for their draft selections despite not having a first-round selection.

Here’s part of PFF’s breakdown on Buffalo’s draft:

Day 2: A.J.Epenesa, PFF’s 20th-ranked prospect and EDGE2, fell right into the Bills’ laps at pick No. 54. While there’s some concern with how his below-average athleticism and lack of burst off the line will translate to the NFL, we still very much viewed Epenesa as a first-round talent in this draft. He has incredible power and great versatility — he had a win rate of over 31% when rushing from the interior in 2019 (54 such reps).

There wasn’t a more elusive running back in the 2020 NFL Draft than Zack Moss. He broke 0.33 tackles per rush attempt ever since his emergence as a true sophomore in 2017 and has broken 33 tackles on 66 catches in his career. Moss isn’t going to wow you with his speed, but he does pretty much everything else at a high level. He was PFF’s RB2 and has the size, vision, hands and elusiveness to succeed in the NFL.

Day 3: It was a pretty big surprise to see Jake Fromm end up on the Buffalo Bills, but this was a great value pick. Fromm was PFF’s QB5 and 69th overall prospect in the class. He’s a “game-manager,” but he takes incredibly good care of the football and is a sharp decision-maker. In 2019, Fromm produced a turnover-worthy play rate that ranked fifth among FBS signal-callers and had just one turnover-worthy play on his 98 dropbacks under pressure. Josh Allen has a quality backup for the time being in Jake Fromm.

Along with Fromm is Day 3, the Bills also landed wide receiver Gabriel Davis before him in the fourth round. In Epenesa, Moss and Davis, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane admitted they were all “best player available” picks. That likely helps his team earn some high-praise from PFF and others.

Around the division, plenty of other good grades were handed out. The Dolphins also had an A-minus mark while the Jets hit a B-plus. The Patriots rounded things out with a B. Of course, all of these are taken with a grain of salt. Who knows how this will turn out for all of these players? They need to prove it on the field.

[lawrence-related id=60309,60246,60201,60233]