Top Five Best Fit Bills Draft Prospects

I'm not that high on Schmitt unless he's available in the 6th or later. I hate the idea of drafting a FB in the 4th or 5th round, which to me, reduces Schmitt's value/fit to us.

Happy Easter everyone

I just hope the Bills don't overthink things and take Thomas at #11.  I'd much rather have Kelly if he is a good kid.

Yes he is big, yes he can run, but he only entered the conversation after his combine showing. I distrust the combine whole heartedly. When did a football player ever have to bench 225 pounds on the field? When did a player EVER get the chance to run in a straight line for 40 yards without being knocked off stride (with the possible exception of Randy Moss)? All you need to know about a player can be found out by watching game tape. I'm sure the Bills didn't have anything on McGee from the combine.

Anyhow, I would say that actually Limas Sweed may be the better player to take due to his production and that his injury may be the easiest to overcome. If we are going for what fits the Bills, and injury history ignored completely, then Kelly would be the best fit. There I've said it. And to let people know why I say this, here are the top 4 big wideouts according to Scouts Inc.:

Malcolm Kelly- 93 6'4"
Strengths:
Big, strong and smooth receiver prospect. Excellent combination of size and athleticism. Plays quicker than his measurables would lead you to believe. He is a very natural pass-catcher. Has big, strong hands -- strongest hands of any WR in this year's class (in our opinion). Does an excellent job of securing the ball in traffic. Uses massive frame to shield defenders from the ball. Wins more jump balls than most receivers. Is a serious weapon inside the red zone. Displays unusually smooth hips for a bigger receiver. Gets in and out of breaks with very little wastes motion. Displays very soft hands when plucking on the run. Is smooth and fluid after the catch. Also a very strong runner. Will drag defenders and bounce off initial hits. Maintains balance after initial contact and will gain a lot of tough yards at the end of runs. Will give an adequate effort as a stalk blocker. Not overly physical but he will get in position and wall-off defender. Has the size to smother most DB's at the point of attack.

Weaknesses:
Lacks elite top-end speed. A bit of a long-strider that builds speed as he goes. Not overly explosive after the catch. He's smooth, but not very crisp when it comes to running routes. Rounds off too many of his breaks and still has room to improve with his overall footwork. Has had some trouble recently staying healthy. Missed time in each of the last two seasons due to injuries, including a torn meniscus in his knee during 2006-'07 Fiesta Bowl that required off-season surgery.

Overall:
Kelly was an instant contributor as a freshman, leading Oklahoma with 33 receptions and 471 yards in 2005. He played 11 games (six starts), scoring two touchdowns. In 2006, he again led the Sooners in catches (62) and receiving yards (993) and had 10 TDs. Paired with Juaquin Iglesias in a more balanced passing attack last season, Kelly wasn't able to match his sophomore numbers. But his 49 receptions, 821 yards and nine scores left him ranked No. 2 in touchdown receptions (21) and receiving yards (2,285) at OU. He played in the Fiesta Bowl in each of the last two seasons, but wasn't able to finish either game and posted no stats because of injuries. Kelly is a big and fluid wide receiver with arguably the strongest hands in the 2008 class. He would have benefited from another season in college to continue to refine his route running skills, but the risk was understandably not worth the reward. Kelly is one of the premier wide receiver prospects in the 2008 class and he should come off the board in the middle portion of the first round.

Limas Sweed- 92 6'4"
Strengths:
Possesses rare size for a wide receiver. He's tall, well built and extremely fluid for his size. Instinctive route runner; finding soft spots in zone comes very naturally to him. He does an excellent job of finding the ball over his shoulder and adjusting to the deep ball. Displays soft hands and very good concentration. Knows how to use his body to shield defenders and uses his upper body subtly to gain separation from defenders when the ball is in the air (see: TD vs. Oklahoma in 2006). Very difficult to defend one-on-one inside the red zone. Displays good leaping ability, long arms and big, strong hands to challenge for the jump ball. Supremely confident in his ability. Shows good body control along the sideline. He has good quickness and change-of-direction skills for his size. He will consistently make the first defender miss after the catch and he also shows the ability to make sharp cuts in the open field after the catch. Very competitive and hard working player.

Weaknesses:
Still has room to improve in terms of consistency as a route runner. Not as sudden in-and-out of breaks as you would like to see from an elite receiver. He's fluid with very good top-end speed for his size but he lacks ideal initial burst. Durability specifically his wrist is now a significant concern. .

Overall:
Sweed was redshirted in 2003. In his next three seasons at Texas (2004-'06), he appeared in 37 games (33 consecutive starts) and hauled in a combined 105 receptions for 1,609 yards (15.3 average) and 17 touchdowns. As a senior, he started in the Longhorns' first six games but was hindered by a wrist injury that had bothered him since spring workouts. He had 19 receptions for 306 yards (16.1 average) and three touchdowns in 2007 before undergoing season-ending surgery. He participated in practice early during Senior Bowl week only to re-aggravate the injury. Sweed suffered the wrist injury during summer camp and attempted to play through the pain. He simply wasn't the same player during those six games in 2007, which is why the majority of our evaluation is based off his junior tape in 2006. When healthy, Sweed has everything NFL teams look for in a No. 1 receiver, including tremendous athleticism for his size and very soft hands. Lingering concerns regarding his wrist injury as a senior could scare some teams in the top-15 away. Still, Sweed is the most talented all-around receiver in the 2008 class when he's at full strength, which is why we anticipate him being selected later in the first round.

James Hardy- 90 6'5" 1/2
Strengths:
Flashes the ability to get a clean release working against press coverage and can get open quickly when corners give him a cushion. Athletic and fluid changing directions when footwork is sound. Shows good toughness over the middle and can hold onto the ball after taking the big hit. Doesn't have great top-end speed but is a long-strider, shows good sideline awareness and tracks the ball fairly well so can make the occasional play downfield. Has excellent size and rarely gets muscled out of routes. Stays alert, shows good awareness and works back to the quarterback when the protection starts to break down. Uses wide frame to shield defenders from the ball and can make tough catches in traffic. Snatches the ball out of the air, is fluid turning upfield after catches and can pick up yards after contact. Times jumps well and has the potential to develop into a productive red zone target.

Weaknesses:
Rounds off too many cuts, doesn't set corners up by changing speeds and is an inconsistent route-runner at this point. Lacks ideal explosiveness and is going to have a harder time separating from man coverage at the NFL level. Takes too long to reach top speed, isn't going to make defenders miss in space and isn't much of a big-play threat after the catch. While has great size and flashes the ability to get into position doesn't play with enough of a mean streak and effort is inconsistent when blocking. Indiana suspended him for two games for an off-the-field incident in 2006 and character is somewhat of a concern.

Overall:
Indiana red-shirted Hardy during his true freshman season in 2004. Hardy appeared in ten games during the 2005 season. In 2006, he appeared in ten games recording 51 catches, 722 receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns. Hardy appeared in all 13 games of the 2007 season recording 79 catches, 1,125 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. Hardy lacks ideal suddenness and will struggle to separate versus some of the elite cover corners at the next level. He also comes with some character baggage that will cause him to drop a bit during draft weekend. However, Hardy possesses a unique blend of size, athleticism and reliable hands, which is why he could be selected as high as the second round.

Devin Thomas- 88 6'2"1/4
Strengths:
Possesses adequate-to-good height with a sturdy build for a wide receiver. Very smooth and fluid. Displays outstanding hands. Can consistently catch over his head. Strong hands to pluck in traffic. Can snatch the ball on the run with very little wasted motion. Is a treat after the catch. Does not possess elite initial burst but he does display a second-gear to run away from defenders once he gets going (see 2nd quarter vs. Wisconsin). He is a silky smooth runner with excellent vision and body control. Sees the entire field and shows the change-of-direction ability to make sharp cuts without losing speed. Is strong and will drag some defenders for extra yards after the catch. Was effective in the times we saw him take hand offs in the backfield and might have a future as a kick return man in the NFL. Has bulk and strength to sustain blocks when he's in position. Also flashes a mean streak.

Weaknesses:
More dangerous after the catch than he is as a vertical route runner. Lacks ideal experience at the highest collegiate level. Still needs polishing as a route runner. Rounds off many of his routes. Not crisp enough to consistently separate from tight man-to-man coverage. Needs to improve his array of release moves versus press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Takes a bit too long to reach top speed. Doesn't always sell routes on play-action runs. Can sustain his blocks once locked on but takes some poor angles and doesn't always get in good position. Effort as a blocker is inconsistent.

Overall:
After proving his explosiveness and versatility by averaging 105.5 all-purpose yards at Coffeyville CC in 2005, Thomas enrolled at Michigan State. He played 10 games in his first season in East Lansing, but finished with just six receptions, 90 receiving yards and a touchdown. He broke out as a junior last season, playing in all 13 games and delivering 79 catches, eight TDs and a Big Ten-best 1,260 receiving yards for a Spartans offense that relied heavily on the run. He added 177 rushing yards on 27 carries and starred as a return man, averaging 29.1 on 39 kickoff returns. Compared to most prospects, there's very little information to go off of when evaluating Thomas. He only played one year at the FBS level and, as an underclassman entry, he was not able to compete in a post-season all-star game. His inexperience and lack of exposure naturally creates some doubt. However, the more film we study of Thomas the more impressed we are with his overall physical tools. He possesses the size, athleticism and hands of a future starter in the NFL, which is why we graded Thomas out in the second round. He will fit best in a West Coast system, where his run-after-catch ability will be maximized.

-- And just for my and Kurupt's sake to explain our man love of our favorite WR:

Jordy Nelson- 80 6'2"5/8
Strengths:
Is a big, strong receiver. Big target with extremely reliable hands. Consistently catches the ball thrown over his head, can pluck on the run effortlessly and does a great job of securing the ball in traffic. Not afraid to go over the middle. He has functional speed for his size. Most impressive is his ability to get in and out of breaks so quickly, especially for a bigger receiver. Displayed much better initial quickness and burst as a senior than he had in previous seasons. He runs crisp routes. Converted high school quarterback, shows a great feel for running routes, finding soft spots in zone and coming back to his quarterbacks when initial play has broken down. Very tough, competitive runner after the catch. Also shows excellent vision to navigate through traffic both after the catch and in the return game. Will lower his shoulder and drag smaller DB's for extra few yards at the end of the play. Continues to improve with experience. High character player and hard worker.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal top-end speed. Is not going to consistently get over the top of man-coverage as a vertical route runner. Runs hard and shows good vision but not overly elusive and doesn't display the second-gear necessary to run away from NFL defenders. Needs to improve technique and overall consistency as a blocker.

Overall: Nelson redshirted in 2003 and didn't see any action as a defensive back in 2004. He moved to wide receiver in 2005, appearing in 24 games (20 starts) over his sophomore and junior seasons (2005-'06). He had 84 receptions for 1,216 yards (14.5 average) and nine touchdowns during that span. Nelson was slowed by a knee injury in '06 but wouldn't sit out any games. Nelson was sensational as a senior, delivering 10.2 receptions for 133.4 receiving yards per game (both second in the nation) and 155.3 all-purpose yards per game (20th). His 2007 totals: 122 catches for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns; five punt returns for 264 yards (52.8 average) and two scores; and two passing TDs (on four attempts) for 45 yards. Nelson capped off a ridiculously productive senior season with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. While he lacks elite speed and athleticism, Nelson is quicker than people seem to think and he simply knows how to separate and make plays. He will likely slip to the third round of the upcoming draft but it wouldn't shock us if Nelson spends 10-plus productive seasons in the NFL as a possession No. 2 or No. 3 receiver.

-- That parts in BOLD explain exactly why I want the Bills to draft this kid, does anything else say "Lunch Pail" player to anyone????